Since you asked...
to be more specific with something I made reference to in the last entry, generally speaking, women need to get dwon to 16-19% body fat to really see nicely defined abs. Men to get to 10-11% to see them well, and they really "pop" at 7-8%.
Granted, a certain level of muscular development of the abdominal region is necessary to have a defined, "ripped" torso. But ultimately, it's body fat percentage that's the most important in SEEING the results you've worked so hard for!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Fat Burning Basics
Did you know that dietary habits are the #1 reason why most people will never obtain that lean, sleek, tone, sexy, ‘ripped’ mid-section with visible abdominal musculature?! No matter how hard you exercise and train, most can’t get their body fat low enough to see their muscles beneath the fat! Generally speaking, women need to get their body fat percentage down into the teens in order to become lean enough to actually see abs as opposed to jelly belly! For men, the percentage is a little lower.
Nutrition is equally as significant as exercise when it comes to achieving a gorgeous set of abs.
Now, let’s assume for starters that you’re eating foods in or close to their natural state, like we discussed in previous blogs. That being said, there is no reason to eliminate or limit your consumption of any one food group or macronutrient (protein, carbs or fat). Restrictive diets will always fail at some point. All 3 macronutrients serve critical functions in our bodies, and when eaten in the right quantities at the right times, promote a lean and healthy body. By the way, there is no magical dietary formula that promotes the best results for body fat loss (eg. 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat or 40/30/30, etc.) The experts can’t even agree!
Instead of focusing on meticulous percentages, focus on starting with healthy ‘real’ foods, including all the macro nutrients, keep an eye on total caloric intake (no fake ‘diet’ foods), keep portion sizes under control and eat frequent small meals (to increase metabolism and maintain steady blood sugar).
The following foods should comprise the majority of your diet in order to promote a lean, healthy body: vegetables; fruit; lean & clean white and red meat; deep, cold water fish; clean (organic) low fat dairy - if you choose to consume dairy; organic eggs & egg whites; whole unrefined high fiber grains (many wellness experts suggest limited quantities of even 'healthy' grains); legumes; nuts, seeds and non-hydrogenated minimally processed oils (extra virgin olive oil, flax seed oil and virgin coconut oil), pure water.
Can you imagine if you just ate foods from that list??? POW!!! Look at your abs, baby! You couldn't help but be smokin hot! Seriously, for most of us, if we could just take off that outer layer (or two!) of insulation, we're really not doing too badly beneath!
This is such an enormous topic! I'll continue to add to it as we go along. In the meantime, if you'd like to read one of the greatest resources I've personally found for results-oriented exercise and nutrition, you should really read the fabulous e-book by Mike Geary at www.SmokinHotAbs.com. He has done a spectacular job of simplifying the process of melting fat right off your body and revealing the sleek and toned YOU!
Nutrition is equally as significant as exercise when it comes to achieving a gorgeous set of abs.
Now, let’s assume for starters that you’re eating foods in or close to their natural state, like we discussed in previous blogs. That being said, there is no reason to eliminate or limit your consumption of any one food group or macronutrient (protein, carbs or fat). Restrictive diets will always fail at some point. All 3 macronutrients serve critical functions in our bodies, and when eaten in the right quantities at the right times, promote a lean and healthy body. By the way, there is no magical dietary formula that promotes the best results for body fat loss (eg. 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20% fat or 40/30/30, etc.) The experts can’t even agree!
Instead of focusing on meticulous percentages, focus on starting with healthy ‘real’ foods, including all the macro nutrients, keep an eye on total caloric intake (no fake ‘diet’ foods), keep portion sizes under control and eat frequent small meals (to increase metabolism and maintain steady blood sugar).
The following foods should comprise the majority of your diet in order to promote a lean, healthy body: vegetables; fruit; lean & clean white and red meat; deep, cold water fish; clean (organic) low fat dairy - if you choose to consume dairy; organic eggs & egg whites; whole unrefined high fiber grains (many wellness experts suggest limited quantities of even 'healthy' grains); legumes; nuts, seeds and non-hydrogenated minimally processed oils (extra virgin olive oil, flax seed oil and virgin coconut oil), pure water.
Can you imagine if you just ate foods from that list??? POW!!! Look at your abs, baby! You couldn't help but be smokin hot! Seriously, for most of us, if we could just take off that outer layer (or two!) of insulation, we're really not doing too badly beneath!
This is such an enormous topic! I'll continue to add to it as we go along. In the meantime, if you'd like to read one of the greatest resources I've personally found for results-oriented exercise and nutrition, you should really read the fabulous e-book by Mike Geary at www.SmokinHotAbs.com. He has done a spectacular job of simplifying the process of melting fat right off your body and revealing the sleek and toned YOU!
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Adding a Dose of Health to Pizza Day at School
I regularly talk to parents about adding healthier options to their family's diet. I don't think this needs to begin with a complete overhaul of deeply set habits... just baby steps, for starters!
For example, I teach that maybe it's just drinking a glass or two more of pure water everyday. Or adding one more green vegetable. Taking a spoonful of quality fish oil. Having some fruit along with that jelly donut at breakfast!! You get my point.
At my daughter's school, once a month is pizza day to raise money for the graduating class' annual trip to D.C. To be perfectly honest, it's all crap! Cardboard box pizza lacking any trace of nutritional value or live food, carrots (yay!) with ranch dressing for dipping (BOOOOOO!), a brownie and juice. Pop for the older kids. Could we serve up a larger spike in insulin to these poor kids?? I can almost hear the oxygen being choked out of their little cells.... there's NO LIFE in that "food"! Apparently, the concern over the childhood obesity epidemic goes out the window once a month so that the graduating class can take their trip! Oh, and we expect kids to focus, remember, learn and remain alert after ingesting that??
As a side note: 1) Since when does a tasty little treat from nature (carrots) require dipping? 2) ranch dressing is one of the most toxic chemical cocktails on the planet! Go ahead, try to find anything in it that adds to our levels of sufficiency or purity! Nada.
On pizza day, after I do my deep breathing exercises, I prepare a 'healthier' version of this meal for my daughter... so she doesn't feel like a complete outcast for being the offspring of two nutritionally well-versed parents! The night before, we bake an organic pizza together. (If you knew me you wouldn't have to ask if we bake it from scratch, silly!) Then we pack organic carrots without any dipping concoctions. (One time I did pack some hummus for her to dip. She could take it or leave it, so I left it!) I throw in a few cucumber slices for bonus "green points". In the past I've even given her a petite square of organic dark chocolate to be consumed only once the carrots and cukes are happily digesting. Remember, build health first, then you have room to make some 'choices'. She thinks she has died and gone to kid heaven when I do that! For a drink it's the only time she gets anything other than water with her lunch. I'll pack very diluted organic lemonade.
Obviously, this isn't the most nutrient dense meal I could create for her. But it does prove my point - making healthier choices doesn't have to be difficult. What's really interesting to watch is how the other kids in class think her lunch looks 'cool'! Even if they didn't, we're OK with that. Trust me!
For example, I teach that maybe it's just drinking a glass or two more of pure water everyday. Or adding one more green vegetable. Taking a spoonful of quality fish oil. Having some fruit along with that jelly donut at breakfast!! You get my point.
At my daughter's school, once a month is pizza day to raise money for the graduating class' annual trip to D.C. To be perfectly honest, it's all crap! Cardboard box pizza lacking any trace of nutritional value or live food, carrots (yay!) with ranch dressing for dipping (BOOOOOO!), a brownie and juice. Pop for the older kids. Could we serve up a larger spike in insulin to these poor kids?? I can almost hear the oxygen being choked out of their little cells.... there's NO LIFE in that "food"! Apparently, the concern over the childhood obesity epidemic goes out the window once a month so that the graduating class can take their trip! Oh, and we expect kids to focus, remember, learn and remain alert after ingesting that??
As a side note: 1) Since when does a tasty little treat from nature (carrots) require dipping? 2) ranch dressing is one of the most toxic chemical cocktails on the planet! Go ahead, try to find anything in it that adds to our levels of sufficiency or purity! Nada.
On pizza day, after I do my deep breathing exercises, I prepare a 'healthier' version of this meal for my daughter... so she doesn't feel like a complete outcast for being the offspring of two nutritionally well-versed parents! The night before, we bake an organic pizza together. (If you knew me you wouldn't have to ask if we bake it from scratch, silly!) Then we pack organic carrots without any dipping concoctions. (One time I did pack some hummus for her to dip. She could take it or leave it, so I left it!) I throw in a few cucumber slices for bonus "green points". In the past I've even given her a petite square of organic dark chocolate to be consumed only once the carrots and cukes are happily digesting. Remember, build health first, then you have room to make some 'choices'. She thinks she has died and gone to kid heaven when I do that! For a drink it's the only time she gets anything other than water with her lunch. I'll pack very diluted organic lemonade.
Obviously, this isn't the most nutrient dense meal I could create for her. But it does prove my point - making healthier choices doesn't have to be difficult. What's really interesting to watch is how the other kids in class think her lunch looks 'cool'! Even if they didn't, we're OK with that. Trust me!
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Rest, Relax... and Get Trim!
High levels of physical and emotional stress increase your levels of the catabolic hormone cortisol. Excess cortisol can cause muscle breakdown and lead to increased body fat storage (along with a myriad of other issues related to the Physiological Stress Response). Most of us have become familiar with cortisol in the last couple of years - it has been the focus of much advertising for weight loss products. Cortisol is directly related to the accumulation of "centripedal" fat... fat around your midsection.
Rest and relaxation are two of your biggest allies when it comes to offsetting the fat-storing side effects of stress. Even people who eat right and exercise regularly will find it nest ot impossilbe to get rid of their stubborn belly fat if they are chronically tired or stressed out. I speak from personal experience! My postpartum months/years left me chronically fatigued and wiped out. It seemed that no matter what I did, I just couldn't trim down my midsection the way I wanted. Once I finally turned a monumental corner with my co-sleeping kids' nightly habits, BINGO! Getting more adequate rest and restoring just-for-me rituals everyday put me back on the right path for fat loss and a trim, tone body.
Studies show that even if you get one or two hours less sleep than you need on a given night, your cortisol levels could be substantially higher, which makes you store fat and lose muscle. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep each night for their bodies to perform at optimal levels. Some may even require more sleep. While many claim to be able to “get by” on just 4 or 5 hours per night, they may be encouraging more ab flab and a host of other problems by not getting enough shut-eye.
Now if I could just get rid of all those wrinkles that 5 years of sleep deprivation caused...! (oh wait, maybe they're really laugh lines!)
Rest and relaxation are two of your biggest allies when it comes to offsetting the fat-storing side effects of stress. Even people who eat right and exercise regularly will find it nest ot impossilbe to get rid of their stubborn belly fat if they are chronically tired or stressed out. I speak from personal experience! My postpartum months/years left me chronically fatigued and wiped out. It seemed that no matter what I did, I just couldn't trim down my midsection the way I wanted. Once I finally turned a monumental corner with my co-sleeping kids' nightly habits, BINGO! Getting more adequate rest and restoring just-for-me rituals everyday put me back on the right path for fat loss and a trim, tone body.
Studies show that even if you get one or two hours less sleep than you need on a given night, your cortisol levels could be substantially higher, which makes you store fat and lose muscle. Most people need 7-8 hours of sleep each night for their bodies to perform at optimal levels. Some may even require more sleep. While many claim to be able to “get by” on just 4 or 5 hours per night, they may be encouraging more ab flab and a host of other problems by not getting enough shut-eye.
Now if I could just get rid of all those wrinkles that 5 years of sleep deprivation caused...! (oh wait, maybe they're really laugh lines!)
Monday, September 24, 2007
To Burn Fat and Lose Flab, Think BIG!
You may already know that in order to lose fat and become lean you need resistance exercise incorporated into your exercise routine. Many people still think that logging hours of cardio will shed the fat. Actually, scientific research has proven that in order to increase your metabolic rate 24/7 so that your body sheds fat even while you’re resting, you need to include a full body resistance routine that ‘stresses’ all the big, major muscle groups. Oh, and it helps if you break a sweat! Even your resistance training should exercise your heart, therefore doubling as cardio exercise also.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re using your own body weight for resistance, going to the gym or working out at home. The point is to do an intense full body training routine comprised of multi-joint movements for both the upper and lower body. Multi-joint exercises are more functional/realistic movements vs. isolated single-joint, traditional weight training moves. Multi-joint exercises move ‘big’ groups of muscle… like doing hard physical work in real life. Some examples are squats, lunges, deadlifts, upper body presses and pulls—all burn more calories both during and after the exercise. Also, many of these exercises are more effective at bringing your abs out of hibernation than actual ab-specific training. That’s because these “big” exercises create metabolic changes in your entire body that assist in reducing your body fat so you can better see the abs you have.
This is just scratching the surface of a very important and detailed subject. For much more detailed information, go to www.FlatTummyClub.com.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re using your own body weight for resistance, going to the gym or working out at home. The point is to do an intense full body training routine comprised of multi-joint movements for both the upper and lower body. Multi-joint exercises are more functional/realistic movements vs. isolated single-joint, traditional weight training moves. Multi-joint exercises move ‘big’ groups of muscle… like doing hard physical work in real life. Some examples are squats, lunges, deadlifts, upper body presses and pulls—all burn more calories both during and after the exercise. Also, many of these exercises are more effective at bringing your abs out of hibernation than actual ab-specific training. That’s because these “big” exercises create metabolic changes in your entire body that assist in reducing your body fat so you can better see the abs you have.
This is just scratching the surface of a very important and detailed subject. For much more detailed information, go to www.FlatTummyClub.com.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
A Winning "Cookie" Smoothie Recipe In Our House!
We call this the “Cookie Smoothie”... the first time my son tasted it he said it tasted like cookies!(what's amusing about that is that he's only 2 and I can count on one hand how many times he has had cookies in his life!) So now the kids literally beg for this delicious concoction and consider it a treat!
It's really SO simple, too!
Ingredients:
Organic Rice or Almond Milk, Vanilla or Original
Organic Vanilla Yogurt
Bananas (I freeze the over ripe ones for smoothies and other recipes)
Chocolate Dream Protein (Vanilla’s great too!) … FREE samples at www.FirstShake.com/4251
A few ice cubes, if I didn't use frozen bananas
Blend in Vita-Mix. Serve with a smile and the satisfaction of being a nutritionally savvy individual! It's one of those feel-good mom moments!
The first time I made this, my daughter sheepishly asked, “Am I allowed to have dessert in the middle of the day like this? Is today a special occasion mommy?” That's when my son added that it tasted like a cookie—the name has stuck! I don’t think I could convince either one of them that it’s really good for them!
By the way, we use our Vita-Mix several times every day… it has simplified our lives tremendously! We use it to make smoothies, fruit and veggie juices, soups, salsa, ice cream, hummus and other dips, almond butter, and to grind flax seeds and coffee. We continue to tell our Practice Members and friends that’s one of the best investments you could make… the one’s who’ve made it agree wholeheartedly! It's the most used appliance in our kitchen, hands down.
You can check it out online at www.Vitamix.com. Feel free to use our personal ‘code’ to save you the $25 shipping fee. In the coupon or special code box, fill in 06-002765. You just saved yourself $25!
It's really SO simple, too!
Ingredients:
Organic Rice or Almond Milk, Vanilla or Original
Organic Vanilla Yogurt
Bananas (I freeze the over ripe ones for smoothies and other recipes)
Chocolate Dream Protein (Vanilla’s great too!) … FREE samples at www.FirstShake.com/4251
A few ice cubes, if I didn't use frozen bananas
Blend in Vita-Mix. Serve with a smile and the satisfaction of being a nutritionally savvy individual! It's one of those feel-good mom moments!
The first time I made this, my daughter sheepishly asked, “Am I allowed to have dessert in the middle of the day like this? Is today a special occasion mommy?” That's when my son added that it tasted like a cookie—the name has stuck! I don’t think I could convince either one of them that it’s really good for them!
By the way, we use our Vita-Mix several times every day… it has simplified our lives tremendously! We use it to make smoothies, fruit and veggie juices, soups, salsa, ice cream, hummus and other dips, almond butter, and to grind flax seeds and coffee. We continue to tell our Practice Members and friends that’s one of the best investments you could make… the one’s who’ve made it agree wholeheartedly! It's the most used appliance in our kitchen, hands down.
You can check it out online at www.Vitamix.com. Feel free to use our personal ‘code’ to save you the $25 shipping fee. In the coupon or special code box, fill in 06-002765. You just saved yourself $25!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
School Day Power Breakfast
My daughter's current reining favorite breakfast on school days is quick and easy to make, and makes me feel good about how she started her day in a nutritious way.
Mix in a bowl:
Organic Vanilla Yogurt or Strawberry/Raspberry Kefir
Organic Hemp Granola
Organic Blueberries, Rasperries, Strawberries
Ground Organic Flaxseeds
Organic Bananas on the side!
That's it! Simple, quick and powerful nutrition to start the day in a healthy way. Enjoy!
Mix in a bowl:
Organic Vanilla Yogurt or Strawberry/Raspberry Kefir
Organic Hemp Granola
Organic Blueberries, Rasperries, Strawberries
Ground Organic Flaxseeds
Organic Bananas on the side!
That's it! Simple, quick and powerful nutrition to start the day in a healthy way. Enjoy!
Join the "Flat Tummy" Club (A.K.A. the "No More Belly" Club!)
Are you fed up with the "pooch" that has permanently moved in below your waist?! (Guys, for you it's the infamous "beer gut"!) Sick and tired of being overweight and not looking and feeling the way you'd like? Rest assured, you are not alone! Excess abdominal fat and inches are a stubborn challenge for the majority of us. After my second child was born, I found that it just wasn't an easy process to get back to my ideal size, shape, body fat percentage or weight. I eat very well and exercise a LOT... yet I had reached a very annoying plateau that did not make me content! Sure, people would tell me, "you look great", but I knew in my heart that I wasn't where I needed to be in order to achieve optimal health and feel great abut how I looked.
It wasn't until this past spring that I finally found the solution that blasted me right off that darn plateau! My husband and I did a 9 day cleansing and fat burning program by Isagenix. Now, I've done cleanses before, lots of 'em. This was the very first time that I've ever noticed the sensation of a shrinking waistline - I kid you not! By day 2 on the program, I felt noticably different! I seriously felt a flatter abdomen... did I mention it was day TWO?! I couldn't believe it! My husband could see my results in the first 2-3 days as well. Wow! We shed almost 20 pounds, LOTS of inches and several percentage points of body fat. Not bad for 9 days! The best part of the program for us was that it also cleanses and detoxifies the body. It's not deprivation or diet pills... it's getting healthier, and enjoying the fantastic visible results along the way!
Oh, and the results have lasted! Like I said, this 9 day program seems to be just what I needed to take me to the next level. I've felt significantly more tone and lean ever since we completed the program months ago. I think that's sensational... it's not what I usually hear from people who've tried diets and other programs.
Several members of our wellness practice have now done the Isagenix program and their results are all phenomenal as well. The story is the same, person after person - regardless of age or condition. We can pretty much predict that if someone actually sticks to the program they're gonna' shed some toxic pounds and inches. It's a no-brainer!
My husband and I started the 30 day program last week. At my one week check-in, I had already dropped a couple more body fat percentage points and 4 more pounds. I AM A HAPPY CAMPER!
So, if you'd like to join our Flat Tummy Club, go check it out for yourself at http://www.MarcandColleen.Isagenix.com and visit the "programs" area. If you have specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you - just email me!
It wasn't until this past spring that I finally found the solution that blasted me right off that darn plateau! My husband and I did a 9 day cleansing and fat burning program by Isagenix. Now, I've done cleanses before, lots of 'em. This was the very first time that I've ever noticed the sensation of a shrinking waistline - I kid you not! By day 2 on the program, I felt noticably different! I seriously felt a flatter abdomen... did I mention it was day TWO?! I couldn't believe it! My husband could see my results in the first 2-3 days as well. Wow! We shed almost 20 pounds, LOTS of inches and several percentage points of body fat. Not bad for 9 days! The best part of the program for us was that it also cleanses and detoxifies the body. It's not deprivation or diet pills... it's getting healthier, and enjoying the fantastic visible results along the way!
Oh, and the results have lasted! Like I said, this 9 day program seems to be just what I needed to take me to the next level. I've felt significantly more tone and lean ever since we completed the program months ago. I think that's sensational... it's not what I usually hear from people who've tried diets and other programs.
Several members of our wellness practice have now done the Isagenix program and their results are all phenomenal as well. The story is the same, person after person - regardless of age or condition. We can pretty much predict that if someone actually sticks to the program they're gonna' shed some toxic pounds and inches. It's a no-brainer!
My husband and I started the 30 day program last week. At my one week check-in, I had already dropped a couple more body fat percentage points and 4 more pounds. I AM A HAPPY CAMPER!
So, if you'd like to join our Flat Tummy Club, go check it out for yourself at http://www.MarcandColleen.Isagenix.com and visit the "programs" area. If you have specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them for you - just email me!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
The First Lunch of the School Year
Yesterday was my daughter's first full day of school. Hence, a packed lunch was required.
When I picked her up after school, I immediately realized "here we go again!!!" She's certainly accustomed to the lunches I pack for her... she knows it's next-to-impossible to win a nutritional argument with me... but she still gives it a valiant effort!
I do feel kind of sorry for her though. Afterall, SHE shouldn't have to feel like a 'food outcast' because she's eating simple, healthy foods. Poor kid! She asked me "how come I don't have any food that comes in a package that I can open, like everyone else?" I'm thinking, "Ummmm.... because I love you? Because I care? Because I know a thing or two about creating optimal health?" 'Geez kiddo... cut me some slack here!
By now, you know my philosophy well enough to understand that I would never imply that a parent who puts packaged food in their child's lunch doesn't love their precious offspring! Nope - don't go there! I just know that parents need better, more truthful nutrional and health information to base their choices upon. That's my job.
So what was this far-fetched lunch that I packed my daughter... the one that caused one of the teachers to ask if she's on a special diet???!!!! (ha!) Hold on to your hats - this is pretty over-the-top! She had an organic chicken hot dog (no bun), and organic cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, carrots and apple slices. Crazy, I know! What a whacked-out mom I am!
You know, in talking to the other moms, it's not that they think what I pack is weird - they think it's weird, and a little bit 'cruel', that I don't pack all the other "stuff". I understand where they're coming from... we've all been conditioned to think that way. Commercials and other forms of marketing teach us that that's what 'good' moms feed their kids. But C'mon! "Cruel" to not feed her Doritos and Oreos? How backwards have we become?! Silly.
Anyway, rest assured that she WILL eat some of these 'treats' throughout the school year. Again, we just make sure there's no confusion in her mind regarding what choices create a healthy body... and which ones move her away from health.
When I picked her up after school, I immediately realized "here we go again!!!" She's certainly accustomed to the lunches I pack for her... she knows it's next-to-impossible to win a nutritional argument with me... but she still gives it a valiant effort!
I do feel kind of sorry for her though. Afterall, SHE shouldn't have to feel like a 'food outcast' because she's eating simple, healthy foods. Poor kid! She asked me "how come I don't have any food that comes in a package that I can open, like everyone else?" I'm thinking, "Ummmm.... because I love you? Because I care? Because I know a thing or two about creating optimal health?" 'Geez kiddo... cut me some slack here!
By now, you know my philosophy well enough to understand that I would never imply that a parent who puts packaged food in their child's lunch doesn't love their precious offspring! Nope - don't go there! I just know that parents need better, more truthful nutrional and health information to base their choices upon. That's my job.
So what was this far-fetched lunch that I packed my daughter... the one that caused one of the teachers to ask if she's on a special diet???!!!! (ha!) Hold on to your hats - this is pretty over-the-top! She had an organic chicken hot dog (no bun), and organic cucumber slices, grape tomatoes, carrots and apple slices. Crazy, I know! What a whacked-out mom I am!
You know, in talking to the other moms, it's not that they think what I pack is weird - they think it's weird, and a little bit 'cruel', that I don't pack all the other "stuff". I understand where they're coming from... we've all been conditioned to think that way. Commercials and other forms of marketing teach us that that's what 'good' moms feed their kids. But C'mon! "Cruel" to not feed her Doritos and Oreos? How backwards have we become?! Silly.
Anyway, rest assured that she WILL eat some of these 'treats' throughout the school year. Again, we just make sure there's no confusion in her mind regarding what choices create a healthy body... and which ones move her away from health.
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