Cardio: Too Much of a Good Thing?

Trying to lose weight leftover from the holidays?  Cardio training can be a good thing—it’s a quick fix to shed fat and it strengthens the heart, increases circulation, and stimulates the metabolism.  However, when you do too much cardio, all of those systems that keep your body healthy can fold like a house of cards, hindering the body’s natural ability to nourish and repair itself.  Prolonged, repetitious cardio workouts stress the body—tipping hormonal and alkaline balances that can inhibit the muscle-building process.  The stress taxes the body and can cause the body to gain fat.  One of the reasons that overtraining results in fat gain and fatigue is that the body can become acidic.  The stress of extreme cardio training overwhelms the body’s natural detoxifying system, resulting in an overload of acid.  The brain goes into survivor mode, clinging to fat cells as a way of insulating the toxic acid from primary organs.  Instead of beating down your body with too much cardio, one of the most effective ways to reach your ideal weight is to strive for balance—by incorporating mindful workouts, clean eating, and proper hydration to maintain a healthy alkaline balance in the body.

I’ve been a trainer for a long time, and I must admit that I have been guilty of overtraining.  In the past, we looked at two things when building muscle:  Fatiguing the muscle and then ensuring that there was enough protein in the diet to repair the muscle fibers.  Today, we understand that diet plays a much more complex role than simply providing protein to mend the muscle.  The human body is a miracle in motion—and it knows exactly what to do.  Muscle building begins in the blood cell, and our job is to nourish the blood with proper hydration, plenty of green vegetables to help the body detoxify, healthy fats that provide fuel instead of sugar, and exercise designed to stimulate the body instead of fatiguing it.  If you balance your blood you will balance your body, and your body will let go of unnecessary fat cells forever.

Before getting on that treadmill for an hour-long workout each day, consider the ease of shifting your body’s alkaline level:

1. Hydrate with 2 liters of water each day.  (Preferably alkaline—likeFiji)
2. Try a 30-45 minute interval cardio workout, it’s about time not distance.Challenge yourself with different types of cardio, and always balance with mindful and functional strengthening & stretching exercises, like Pilates.
3. Add plenty of green leafy vegetables to your daily diet.  Chlorophyll is like eating the sun’s energy—and it cleans the blood on a cellular level. (You can try a green supplement to make sure you’re getting lots of chlorophyll.)
4. Incorporate smart fats like olive oil, coconut oil, and flaxseed oil into your daily diet.  The body works much more efficiently when running on fats instead of sugars.

Good luck with losing that post-holiday bulge.  And remember, sometimes it pays to work smarter, not harder.

Sprouted Grains: Get Nutrients Back Into Your Daily Diet

We know that the typical American diet has gotten off track—life moves quickly and we have all fallen prey to the “quick” and “easy” claims of processed foods.  We also know that processing applications strip nutrients from foods and that many preservatives used are hard for the body to break down—resulting in toxicity.  And though many manufacturers try to make up for it by enriching their product with additional vitamins after processing to try to make up for the diminished nutrient content; fresh whole food is better.  The more that we learn about diet and its ability to prevent, arrest, and manage chronic disease; we know that fresh whole food resonates with our bodies on a cellular level creating vitality, health, and wellness.

One easy way to boost the natural food quotient in your daily diet is to switch to a sprouted grain bread.  Processed breads use milled and sometimes bleached flour in their recipes–a process that removes the bran and germ from the grain, stripping away fiber, bran, vitamins, and minerals.

Sprouted breads are made from grain that is sprouted in water before grinding.  Sprouting actually activates food enzymes and increases vitamin content.  It also neutralizes phytic acid—a substance that can inhibit your body’s ability to absorb some of the minerals into your body.  Using sprouted grain in bread recipes can also double the protein content—delivering a quality protein that contains 18 amino acids—perfect for those downgrading animal protein in their diet. 

Sprouted grain is at the most unrefined stage which is why these breads are considered to be a live food source.

The only slight inconvenience when using sprouted grain breads is that they must be kept refrigerated or frozen until ready to use.  They come in a variety of flavors and there are even a selection of wraps, buns, English muffins, pastas, cereals, and tortillas to choose from.

Breakfast

1 slice of sprouted grain bread, toasted

1 tablespoon of almond butter

Sprinkling of sea salt

 

Lunch

1 sprouted grain wrap

Sliced avocado

Sliced cucumbers

Spinach leaves

sprouts

Sliced tomato

Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt

 

Dinner

Cook sprouted grain pasta according to directions. Briefly sauté assorted vegetables—halved cherry tomatoes, broccoli, and asparagus in 1 tablespoon oil over medium low heat.  Remove from pan and sauté ¼ cup of onion and 2 cloves of chopped garlic in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium low heat for 5 minutes. Deglaze skillet with ½ cup of wine.  Add ½ cup chicken or vegetable broth and cook for 2 minutes.  Return vegetables to pan and warm through.  Mix with pasta and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesean.

Alkaline Food Chart

Get Connected with Pilates

 Joseph Pilates said that he was 50 years ahead of his time—and today, judging from the popularity of Pilates, I would say that he was right!! Pilates is known to sculpt and lengthen muscle, stimulate spinal fluid for a healthy supple spine, and condition the entire body to prevent injury.  It also benefits the body by lubricating joints, increasing re-alignment awareness as well as overall circulation. 

The goal of the Pilates workout is to coordinate the body, mind, and spirit through concentrated effort and focused movement. This focus has the ability to bridge the chasm between the mind and body and teaches the brain to engage intrinsic muscle.  Both actions function to help the body reach higher levels of strength and conditioning.  Many of us go through our day with long “to-do” lists and unfortunately, exercise can often be a chore. Pilates can get you off that hamster wheel with movement that strengthens and promotes a sense of connectedness to calm the mind and nourish the soul.

 As a work ethic, the old adage “work smarter, not harder” refers to getting the best result using the least effort. That same ethic applies to working out with Pilates—even though the principles can be challenging, each movement promotes economy of movement.  Intrinsic muscles are small, involuntary muscles that are attached to bone, joints, and ligaments and when they are taught to fire through focused movement, it creates a strong core that stabilizes the body.  Since all movement originates in the core of the body–a strong, stable core allows strength and energy to flow freely, resulting in a graceful body that is full of energy.  “Turning on” stabilizer muscles through a Pilates workout also encourages a mindful awareness of strength and flexibility to the core.

The mind/body connection comes into play when protecting the body from injury as well. In addition to stimulating the mobility of your spine by creating space between each vertebra, the focused effort trains the mind to engage the core before movement. It is not a surprise that people with chronic back pain have a tendency to activate their core after a movement—resulting in a choppy motion that often results in injury. Activating the core first creates stability that is instrumental in protecting the back. Stabilizing the core, as well as overall body conditioning create balance and graceful movement that minimizes the risk of injury. Conventional weight-lifting has a tendency to create a muscular imbalance where the weak muscles get weaker and strong muscles get stronger–leading to an imbalance, exhaustion, and limited range of movement. Pilates creates balance in the body—leading to greater intrinsic strength, alignment, and stability.

 So if you haven’t tried Pilates, you might consider it. It strengthens the mind and body connection, creates muscular balance in the body, calms the mind, and nourishes the soul!

The Alkaline Diet: Simplified

 The role and definition of diet has changed greatly during my career as a fitness trainer/ coach.  To build muscle and help clients create a healthier, more energetic version of themselves–the emphasis of diet has been to find the right balance of protein and carbohydrates to maintain a healthy weight.  Today, diet has found its place as not only as a consideration for building muscle and maintaining weight–but as an effective tool in the fight against age-related disease.  The China Study illuminated the simple fact that plant protein is good, and animal protein is a less desirable form of sustenance.  Inhabitants of other countries where animal protein is less abundant do much better when it comes to heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.  Most Americans not only get most of their protein from animal products–but in the majority of the households in America–people are getting too much protein.  In many cases, double the recommended amount.  We live in a country where we are suffering from the disease of affluence resulting in early onset of age and obesity related disease.

Recently my husband was diagnosed with cancer.  While cancer always comes as a shock, this really took us by surprise considering our active lifestyle and healthy eating habits. I began studying the “game-changing” role of diet and nutrition, my research led me to The Alkaline Diet–a way of changing the body chemistry by balancing the pH of the blood.  It may sound technical and difficult to understand but the premise is very simple.  Balance the pH level in your blood and you will balance your body–allowing your body to shed trapped fat.  Excess fat is your body’s way of insulating it from acid that builds up due to stress, acidic foods, and lack of proper hydration.  Your body is always seeking homeostasis to promote survival.  However, in its effort to reach for balance, the body has the tendency to take what it needs from wherever it can find it.  For instance, calcium is the most abundant mineral in your body but if you don’t have enough in your diet–your body will take it from your bones.  The premise of the alkaline diet is if  you balance your blood on a cellular level–the other systems in your body can reach homeostasis easily and without effort.

Starting our journey to balance the pH in our blood was actually quite easy and fun.  We made a dedicated effort to restoring proper hydration in our bodies by drinking 2 or more liters of alkaline water per day. The water we drink hydrates us at a cellular level, which is filtered and has a 9.5 pH…we feel the water we now drink has made more of an
impact on our health than anything!!  We add Core Greens–a supplement high in minerals and chlorophyll to help nourish our bodies also at a cellular level.  We traded up big strenuous workouts for things that we simply enjoy… pilates, swimming, hiking, biking, and walking.  We made a point to detox, relax & meditate in a infrared sauna at least once a week. The diet was more of a “shift”  and we concentrated more on adding alkaline foods like avocados, lemons, tomatoes, lots of greens, and sprouted breads.  We
didn’t totally give up acidic foods like beer and wine, but we “balanced” the acidic foods to the alkaline foods and knew where our foods come from!!  Our goal was to achieve 80% alkaline foods to 20% acidic foods.  The result:  We lost our excess weight, increased our energy levels, and quite honestly we have never felt better.  Oh and by the way, my husband remains cancer free.

Since then I have started taking others through the 30-day program and I am amazed at the results. In one of my first sessions a client lost an incredible 18 inches within 30 days!  In addition to weight loss, clients have experienced dramatic relief from arthritic pain, inflammatory bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, and colitis.  While the idea of changing your body’s chemistry through balancing alkaline levels is still in its infancy, I am excited by the prospect of changing the course of disease and aging though diet.  In addition to shedding inflammation and body weight, it has the potential to “pre-pave” our future health with a few simple changes.

How raw is RAW?

As we evolve into healthier habits and lifestyles–many are finding that eating more raw or live foods ensures that we get the maximum amount of nutrients and enzymes from our foods –creating a body that is full of energy!  To be considered a RAW foodie or aficionado–ideally you would devote about 70% of your food intake to raw or live foods.  To qualify as raw, food must not be heated past 118 degrees. 

While making hardcore sweeping changes like how to prepare your food may be daunting for some–you might want to start by becoming “More Raw” instead of RAW.  Choosing more healthy options can be a transition rather than a doctrine–I’m a big believer in the impact of small changes.  If you would like to start making “More Raw” choices, summer provides a great
opportunity to transition your diet–succulent vegetables and fruits picked fresh off the vine taste delicious as they are.
Another way of introducing “More Raw” foods is to sear them quickly on the grill and then drizzle with olive oil and fresh lemon.  Alkaline vegetables such as zucchini, peppers,
onions, and eggplant are lovely when quickly charred on the outside–encasing the fresh raw vegetable–complete with
nutrients and enzymes on the inside.  While you may have to oil the grill abit to keep the vegetables from sticking, make sure that you drizzle it with olive oil after it is cooked–to maintain the quality of the “good fat” in the olive oil.  Heat not only compromises the nutrients in vegetables–but quickly turns a “good fat” to a “bad fat” when oil is heated.

Another way to become “More Raw” is to juice or add a green smoothie to your diet.  Juicing kale, cucumber, pear, and
celery makes a great raw drink that packs a heavy-duty chlorophyll punch.  Juiced or blended drinks are a great way
to pump you up with nutrients and enzymes while giving your
digestive system a little break as well.  If you don’t have a juicer, you can throw veggies like spinach, cucumber, kale,
and celery into the blender with a cup of alkaline water to create a more crunchy version of a green smoothie.

The best part about becoming “More Raw” in your diet is that
your focus is on “adding” instead of “subtracting” foods from your diet.  It is always helpful to be positive about the foods that you eat and I find that when we seek out new
solutions–like adding a green smoothie or “More Raw” vegetables to your diet–it inspires you to do more!

Omega-3s: Recalculate Your Thinking

As we know, Omega-3s are an essential fatty acid that cannot be synthesized by the body.  In addition to impacting metabolism, Omega-3s nourish the immune system, reduce inflammation, and are instrumental in staving off cardiovascular disease and cancer. 

“Seed Oils Can Easily Be Incorporated Into Your Diet”

 When it comes to nutrition–like most things–balance is key.  Omega-3s share a symbiotic relationship to Omega-6s and ideally we should try to have a 4 to 1 intake of 3s to 6s.
Unfortunately, the average American diet usually has a 20:1 ratio of Omega-6s or
3s!  An imbalance of Omega-6s can lead to seriou
problems, like stroke or blood clots.  Fortunately,
increasing your Omega-3s can greatly impact that danger.</p

Signs of a deficiency include:  Fatigue, poor memory, dry
skin, heart problems, mood swings, poor circulation.</p

Since it is always better to get nutrients into your diet
through a food source, if you can…you may want to
recalculate your thinking on fish oil capsules.  While taking
a supplement is convenient and easy–fish oil it is very
unstable–and it can easily turn rancid–the telltale smell
protected by the gelatin capsule.

Olive oil is a great source of Omega-3s–but even better is seed oils like flax or hemp.  A bit lighter in weight
than olive oil, seed oils have a higher percentage of alpha-
linolenic acid.  They can be used in much of the same way as
your favorite olive oil–toss with fresh greens or lightly
steamed and raw vegetables.  In addition, challenge yourself
by thinking of new ways to incorporate them into your diet–
drizzle them on oatmeal, add to shakes and smoothies, soups,
and stir-fries.  Just remember that heat compromises Omega-3s
so don’t use it in cooking and make sure you store it in
the refrigerator.

Greens like spinach are also high in Omega-3s.  Paired
with flaxseed oil–this salad will help you find balance:

Spinach Salad

1 6-oz package of baby spinach

1 Bosc pear, sliced

1 avocado, cubed

1/4 small red onion, minced

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons of flaxseed oil

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

pinch of cayenne pepper

Whisk dressing and toss with other ingredients.