Newsletter - Fitness is Simple

29 Simple Ways To Be Fit

Far too often fitness is presented as complicated and confusing. 

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Being fit comes from living the following simple everyday practices:

1. Throw out your big dinner plates. Using small plates at home effortlessly reduces calorie intake and promotes weight loss.
2. Make exercise a regular part of your life. Create a network of accountability with workout partners or by working with me, your local fitness expert.
3. Know what you want to accomplish. Visualize the end result of your hard work.
4. Believe in you. I know that you CAN accomplish your goals.
5. Don't be a wimp. Keep the intensity high during your workouts. Remember that you don't want to kill time; you want to burn calories and strengthen your body through intense exercise.
6. Drink water all day long.
7. Know when to ask for help.  
8. Incorporate High Intensity Interval Training into your routine by doing bursts of high intensity rather than exercising at a single steady pace.
9. Maintain your metabolism by eating a healthy snack or meal every three hours. This food should be unprocessed, low in fat and high in fiber.
10. Forget will-power; it's about WANT-power. How badly do you want it.
11. Never eat processed foods. These items are high in empty calories and contain a plethora of chemicals that are harmful to your health.
12. Fat contains twice the caloric density of carbohydrates and protein, so limit the amount of it that you eat. Fill your diet with lean protein and carbohydrates from leafy plants and whole grains.
13. It's OK to be a skeptic. Watch out for products that are labeled as ‘health food'. Always read the nutrition labels and make your own informed opinion.
14. Talk is cheap. Act now and get the job done.
15. Exercise with people that are in better shape than you. This will encourage you to push your limits.
16. Never indulge in negative self-talk.
17. Don't drink calories.
18. Pay attention to everything that you eat.
19. Keep consistent. Exercise at least three or four times each week.
20. Expect more from yourself.
21. Never eat High Fructose Corn Syrup. It spikes your blood sugar levels and encourages your body to store fat.
22. Eat plenty of whole plant foods. Vegetables, fruits and whole grains are filled with fiber and antioxidants, great for good health and weight loss.
23. Do your cardiovascular exercise after weight training to encourage more fat burn. Your stored sugars will be depleted during the weight training then your body will rely on fat stores to get you through the cardio workout.
24. Breakfast should be a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat to get your metabolism going strong.
25. If you know that you deserve better...then go get it.
26. Challenge yourself during each workout. Try something new and exciting.
27. Set specific, measurable goals and track your progress.
28. Even if they are whole grain, eat carbohydrates sparingly. Carbohydrates are quickly stored as fat.
29. Put an end to your struggle to get and stay fit. Call or email me today to get started on a proven fitness program that will change your life and body forever.

Print this list and place it somewhere that you'll see every day.

Not Too Sweet

If want to lose weight, cut the sugar out of your diet. Sugar encourages fat storage by causing your insulin levels to rise. Try natural low-calorie alternatives to sugar, such as stevia.

Favorite Snaps

Green beans are low in calories and packed with vitamins and healthy fiber. This dish comes together quickly and the flavors are deliciously tangy.
Servings: 2 

Here's what you need:

• 8oz fresh green beans
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons diced yellow onion
• dash of salt and pepper

1. Steam the green beans until soft, yet still with a slight crunch.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients. Add the green beans and toss together.
3. Transfer beans to serving dish and enjoy.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 94 calories, 4g fat, 9.5g carbohydrate, 3.3g fiber, and 2g protein.

Newsletter - Motivation Here!

13 Reasons To Exercise

Let's face it, some days you just don't feel like exercising.

You get too busy, too stressed and quite simply too tired.

Here's a list of 13 of the top reasons to exercise. Pull out this list and read it when you're having one of those days.

1. To Prevent Disease
Exercise has been proven to reduce the risk of just about every single health problem known to man, from stroke to heart disease to cancer and osteoporosis. Exercise is also a great defense against type 2 diabetes, which is one of the most widely growing diseases of our time.

2. To Look Great
Exercise firms your body, improves posture and even makes your skin glow. Looking your best is a wonderful result of regular exercise.

3. To Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Exercise burns fat and prevents future fat storage. If you want to have a thinner, healthier body, exercise is the answer.

4. To Have More Energy
Anyone who exercises regularly will tell you that they are more energetic, less easily irritated and are more peaceful.

5. To Sleep Better
Exercise boosts energy levels, but also wears you out. It makes you feel more vibrant during the day and sleep better at night.

6. To Age Slower
Exercise is one of the most effective ways to fight aging. When you age your body loses muscle and bone, while the loss of both are drastically reduced with regular exercise. Exercise also helps reduce inflammation.

7. To Relieve Back Pain
In most cases, the best thing that you can do for back pain is to move and strengthen those muscles. Consult your physician or physical therapist for guidance.

8. To Ease Depression
Exercise has been proven to reduce depression – sometimes even as effectively as medication. Just chalk this up as yet another amazing benefit to exercise.

9. To Reduce Aches and Pains
By strengthening muscles around your damaged joints you're able to use exercise to reduce joint pain and overall aches. Always consult your physician before starting an exercise program, especially if you have chronic joint pain.

10. To Stay Mentally Sharp
Exercise has been shown to improve memory and other cognitive functions, and seems to have a protective effect against dementia. A Harvard University researcher called exercise "Miracle-Gro for the brain."

11. To Enjoy Your Lifestyle
Whatever it is that you love in life – your kids, travel, sports, fashion - it is all more enjoyable when experienced in a fit and healthy body. Exercise so that you are able to enjoy all the great things in life.

12. To Reduce Sick Days
People who exercise regularly are 50% less likely to call in sick to work. A regular exercise program reduces colds and upper respiratory infections.

13. To Boost Confidence
Being fit, feeling healthy and having energy are all building blocks to having great confidence. There is no better confidence booster than sticking with a regular exercise program.

Regular exercise gives you so many amazing benefits, as you've seen from the above list. Call or email me today to get started on the exercise program that will change your life forever.

An Attitude of Gratitude

If you want a happier life then learn to appreciate yourself and others. An attitude of gratitude transcends every aspect of your life, making it brighter and richer. You'll even learn to enjoy the time you spend exercising.

Cranberry Quinoa Mini Muffins

Here is a muffin that is truly packed with fiber. Whole wheat flour and wholesome cooked quinoa combine with almonds and cranberries for a moist and delicious treat. Cooked quinoa can be used in place of some of the flour in almost any recipe to increase protein and fiber.
Servings: 36

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup unsweetened rice milk
• 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup safflower oil
• 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• zest from 1 small lemon
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/3 cup finely chopped dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup organic turbinado raw cane sugar

1. Preheat oven to 370 degrees F. Place 12 muffins liners in muffin pan and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl combine the rice milk, flaxseed, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, almond and lemon zest.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, ground almond, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones and fold in the cooked quinoa and chopped cranberries.
4. Use an ice cream scooper to fill each muffin liner 3/4 full. Sprinkle the turbinado raw cane sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional Analysis: One serving equals: 55 calories, 2.5g fat, 8g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, and 1g protein.