Yes, More on Protein ;-)

Read a blurb from the current issue of Fitness magazine:

"Instant Energy Boost:  When you need a pick-me-up, reach for something with protein.  Scientists at the University of Cambridge found that the nutrient activates orexin cells, which release a stimulant in the brain that's responsible for wakefulness.  What's more, protein neutralizes the effects of sugar, keeping your energy levels stable.  'Even a small amount of protein seems to cancel out the effects of large amounts of glucose,' lead author Denis Burdakov, Ph.D., explains.  So if you normally grab a piece of fruit when you hit an afternoon slump, pair it with a small handful of nuts or hard-boiled egg to power through the rest of your day."

Beyond this, protein, as I have mentioned a few times/ways, aides in the repair of your muscles which is all good and wonderful....but if you are not working out regularly know that just as with too many carbs and fats, protein too turns to fat if you are consuming more calories than you are burning!

Want some other info, be sure to check out all of the info and links on Eating Supportively

Vegetarian Protein Complementarity Chart

--from ACE's Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals

"Vegetarian diets provide several health advantages.  They are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and animal protein and high in fiber, folate, vitamins C and E, carotenoids, and some phytochemicals.  Compared to omnivores, vegetarians have lower rates of obesity, death from cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer. However, if poorly planned, vegetarian diets may include insufficient amounts of protein, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and other nutrients (ADA, 2003).

Quality protein intake is crucial for vegetarians.  A main determinant of protein quality is whether a food contains all of the essential amino acids.  Most meat-based products are higher-quality proteins because they have varying amounts of the essential amino acids, while plant proteins other than soy are incomplete proteins because they do not contain all eight to 10 essential amino acids.  However, complementary plant products such as rice and beans together provide all essential amino acids.  Research suggests that most vegetarians consume adequate amounts of complementary plant proteins throughout the day to meet their protein needs.  Thus, the complementary proteins do not need to be consumed in the same meal. (ADA, 2003)."

Ab Facts

A good write up on the "why" situps are not an affective ab enhancement choice from Women's Health.

"You have five lumbar vertebrae, and each one gives you about seven to nine degrees of motion, for a total of 45 degrees," says Mary Kirkland.  That means to truly work your core, you need to stay between zero degrees (like a plank) and 45 degrees (like a crunch).  "From 45 degrees to a full situp, you're engaging your hip flexors, which attach directly to your lumbar spine.  Too many reps will not only make your hip muscles sore, but your lower back will start to hurt too."

Excuses

There are a lot of reasons why folks say they cannot eat well and/or workout, but aside from a legitimate illness or injury, these are really just excuses.

A lack of time is the most common excuse for not planning/preparing healthy meals and/or for not exercising.  If this is you, make an honest list of where your time goes.  Be sure to include your internet time, (Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, web surfing), phone time, long shower/bath time, television time, reading books/magazines time, etc.  Did you have any of these indulgent activities in abundance?  Be honest, 5 minutes here and there really add up.  If so, you have time to workout and eat well!!!

Ways to consolidate activities, can be clearing your DVR while you workout or stretch; turning your workouts into a fun activity with your kiddos.  My kids love to workout with me as well as do Yoga so this is not only fun time with them, but it is a teaching moment.  They learn first hand from example and experience that healthy choices are fun, doable, and a priority!  Your Children Are Watching & Why a Free Blog  Preparing a weeks worth of meals an hour each week is a practice I have done for years, and makes for a much easier week at dinner time.  Heck, I have even prepared dinner and done Burpees in the kitchen waiting for something to boil!  No time, no space, REALLY?

Expense is another common excuse.  If you are doing bodyweight workouts all you need is your body...Seriously!  Workout mats are as little as $8.  Prices of prepackaged processed foods are way more expensive than whole foods (fresh fruits/veggies and/or frozen).  Sure you can spend a lot if you choose to go organic/natural; which is great if you have the funds, but not necessary to get fit and healthy.  Eating healthy is actually cheaper than eating unhealthy...I've done the math!  I live on an extremely tight budget....If I can do this, you can do this!!!

Making yourself, your health a part of your priorities actually frees up time and energy for all the other tasks that you are currently using as excuses for not taking care of yourself.  No joke!  Walking, talking proof here!  You are worth the time!  You are worth a change; however small at the start!  Your family is worth having you around for years and years to come!  Get Inspired and Get Fit!!!!

"If we're growing, we're always going to be out of our comfort zone...deal with it!"  Scott Colby

Practice Makes???

You know the saying "practice makes perfect" but that's not really accurate.  If you are practicing bad form for example, then you will never get good form or good results as a result regardless of how much you practice...it will never be "perfect".  The saying really should be Perfect Practice makes Perfect.  You will only ever get out what you put in, so don't repeat bad behavior, bad mental dialogue, bad form, sloppy workouts, bad eating habits and expect to get anything out of it but bad results.  A good example of bad form would be the squat (Importance of a Proper Squat) or the push up....Folks will rush through those moves workout after workout and wonder why they don't get the results for their efforts....simple answer is you are not working the correct muscles and most likely just stressing your joints.  Same with mindless eating....If you nibble, bite, sample your way through the day not thinking those little tastes here and there amount to anything, you are sadly mistaken.  Results = the Effort you put into it.  Perfect Practice = Perfect Results!

Low Intensity Fact or Fiction

Fact or Fiction:  Does Low-Intensity Exercise Burn the Most Fat?  (from ACE's Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals pg 76)

"A very common misconception in the exercise literature is that low-intensity exercise is the best way to lose body weight and, more specifically, body fat.  This misconception is based on the RER chart (Respiratory Exchange Ratio).  Below an RER value of 0.86, a higher percentage of fat is being burned for fuel.  Thus, it has been thought that by exercising at a low intensity (the lower the intensity of exercise, the lower the RER value), more fat would be burned for fuel and that fat stores would selectively decrease.  This notion does not make sense mathematically and, more importantly, has never been proven in the laboratory. ... It is important to remember that the total number of calories burned is what determines weight loss, regardless of the source of those calories."

Go INTERVALS Go

from Men's Health June 2013 issue:

THREE ... the Number of weekly interval workouts that match the effectiveness of five long cardio sessions when it comes to boosting cardiovascular health.

from my 6/19/12 Post:

How Effective is HIIT?

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is anaerobic training that allows you to cut cardio duration without sacrificing the cardiovascular benefits. HIIT primarily focuses on anaerobic pathways with numerous HIIT ratios that can be utilized such as a 1:1 (e.g., 30 sec of work to 30 sec of active recovery beginner Interval), a 2:1 (e.g., 20 sec of work to 10 sec of active recovery Tabata or 60 sec of work to 30 sec of active recovery intermediate Interval), or a 3:1 (e.g., 45 sec of work to 15 sec of active recovery advance Interval). The beauty of HIIT is that it not only cuts your workout duration, but in a lot of ways is way more effective than longer duration endurance cardio, especially when it comes to fat burning. But, to be effectively performing HIIT you have to be intensely working out in the "work" phase.
During exercise, higher levels of intensity cause an increase in respiration to allow larger volumes of air to move into and out of the lungs to facilitate increased delivery of oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide. Simple, basic, you work harder resulting in you breathing harder. And as with everything, this simple process has a name...minute ventilation or Ve. There are two deflection points in the otherwise linear increase in Ve and that is VT1 and VT2. When you are exercising below VT1 you are able to carry on a conversation fairly normally. This is not very intense exercise and below VT1 is where a lot of long duration, steady state, endurance running/exercising is. At or just above VT1 is where carrying on a conversation is a little more difficult and speaking is slightly uncomfortable. Exercise just below VT2 represents the highest intensity an individual can sustain for approximately 20-30 minutes. Speaking is very broken and choppy just below VT2 and not at all at or above VT2. Intensely working at VT2 and above is where HIIT should be on the "work" phase. Active rest should be between VT1 and VT2 allowing your body to recover from the work phase without lowering your heart rate too much.

Recent research shows that the cardiovascular adaptations that occur with HIIT are similar, and in some cases superior, to those that occur with continuous endurance training (Helgerud et al. 2007; Wisloff, Ellingsen & Kemi 2009).

Rewards

The next time you "reward" yourself for good behavior consider this:  Why would you reward yourself for good behavior with bad habits???

Food Rewards

Are you guilty of rewarding your children (or yourself) with food?  I know I am.  Have you considered that you are setting them up for emotional eating issues later in life?  Think about it.  If  you reward your child with a "treat" for good behavior and/or revoke a "treat" for bad behavior, the association your child builds is one of comfort with food.  Not good!  Food is fuel and enjoyable, but should not be so closely associated with feelings of emotional comfort and reward.  As an adult, I'm sure you can see in your own behavior how this has been an ongoing issue, so as a parent you can certainly see how you can help them later in their life by not "rewarding" them now with food. Rewards

Instead, reward them and yourself with time (not things or food).  Play a game, read a book, snuggle, whatever it is, trust me when I say that your children will treasure the moments you spend with them both in the present as well in the future.  Then, you will have associated activity and time with emotion as opposed to food or material things.
Also:  Your Children Are Watching!  &  Sad but True

May 2015 Class Schedule