Check Nutrition Facts Online

Even as a personal trainer bad foods slip under my radar pretty regularly. A good example of this is products you purchase without labels. This happens dining out, ordering in, and buying beverages like coffee.

It's always a good idea, especially if you are on a weight loss program, to check the companies website online for nutritional facts and information.

A good example of this is coffee: I will regularly pick up a coffee from Tim Horton's (or similar coffee chain) in the early afternoon. I don't really think of coffee as being loaded with calories and fat, despite knowing it has cream and sugar in it. I mean, it's only added to taste, right?

I looked up the count of a large double double and nearly fell off my chair when I saw that it contains 230 calories and 9 grams of fat. This is more than a pop, equal to a donut or chocolate bar, and more than a non fat caramel latte at Starbucks, which I had always considered to be a "dessert coffee!"

Take that size up to an extra large, make it a triple, and then you're looking at over 400 calories and 20 grams of fat! Unbelievable.

Even something most of us do from time to time, like grabbing a slice of pizza, is worth checking out online. At Pizza Pizza (a Canadian favourite) a slice of cheese only (walk in), is 600 calories. This is equal to 3 slices from a delivered large pizza. These simple realizations put portion in to perspective for snacking, dining, out and with the coffee, how many empty calories you drink on a weekly basis.

Even when the label is right in front of you, it can be deceiving. A while back I was hungry and the only thing around was a Second Cup. I popped in for a snack and saw "breakfast cookies." Now, I know anything with cookie in the title, isn't going to be uber healthy but I needed the energy and saw that the individually wrapped, single cookie, had 100 calories per 45g serving. After buying the cookie and sitting down I read the label more carefully. The cookie itself is 90g, so the facts had to be doubled. This was not a big cookie by any means. Who would think they'd assume anybody would eat only half, or share? Even though it's a mere 200 calories, most of that was sugar. I felt a little duped.

Many weight loss programs fail because of these calories that sneak past even the most observant shoppers. If you have been trying to lose weight without success, look to your food and beverage consumption. 90% of the time, you will find the culprit there!

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Reducing DOMS

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is caused by accumulated lactic acid in the muscles after they have been worked out very hard. For some, DOMS is only experienced at the start of a new workout routine. For other people, like myself, who are more prone to muscle soreness, it's important to discover ways to reduce the symptoms. Otherwise, exercising will not be enjoyable, and walking around all day stiff as a board, is inconvenient and even embarrassing.

Five ways to Reduce DOMS:

1. Break up your routine

If you know multiple barbell squats, weighted lunges and leg curl machine sets are going to leave you incapacitated for days, break up the workout. Instead of doing an all legs day, add in a few sets with every upper body workout. If it's a matter of doing too much in a day, such as a weight routine followed by yoga, learn your limitations and if necessary, scale back the amount of time you exercise in a day.

2. Protein powder and Glutamine

Both of these supplements promote healing, repairing and muscle building. If you do not wish to use supplements, simply eating a meal high in protein after a workout will do the trick. If using protein powder and glutamine, try a protein shake made with water, juice or skim milk mixed with the recommended doses of both supplements soon after your routine.

3. Take a bath

This is especially helpful for long distance running. Personally speaking, the day after a race my legs are toast! After an intense workout, or long run, take a dip in cold (yes, cold!) water for 5 minutes or so. This technique is much better than taking pain relieving medications, which only disguise injuries instead of treating them. Ice baths reduce inflammation and increase circulation. Nobody wants to hear that they should take a cold bath in the winter but it really works!

Bonus Tip

Okay, I feel really bad telling my readers to take ice baths. How about this one, go get a massage. They promote circulation, relaxation and they feel really nice! Unfortunately they won't prevent muscle soreness, but if you already have it, then it's a nice way to go.

4. Stretch after workouts

A lot of the time exercisers experience muscle soreness because they thought they were doing the right thing by stretching before a workout. This technique is a little antiquated, and by doing this, you are stretching out "cold muscles." This leads to pulls and tears that create muscle soreness. Instead, stretch after a workout, when muscles are warm. This technique is also beneficial as a way to relax after a routine and to feel light and limber for the rest of the day.

5. Don't exercise on sore muscles

This will not toughen you up, or make recovery any easier in the future. This is actually a very counterproductive thing to do. Muscles require 48 hours after strength training to rebuild, grow and repair. Working out on sore muscles will decrease result progress and increase the time it takes the soreness to go away.

DOMS isn't too bad once you know your body well enough to identify what causes it, and then to make these small changes to overcome the inconvenience and discomfort of muscle soreness.

Lift Smart!

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Review on Yoga X From P90X

Last week a client was so kind as to give me a copy of Yoga X from the P90X home fitness DVD set.

The DVD is 92 minutes and the program recommends doing the workout once a week. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I had to break it up into two 45 minute workouts. For a first time I'm glad I did!

I have been practicing yoga on and off for 11 years and boy, was in for a shock. This DVD is a challenge. Granted, I wasn't sweating my buns off, and I managed to get in to almost all of the poses but I did "feel the burn" and my muscles were tender for three days afterward! Especially my abs.

The first part is a lot of fun. It includes many of my favourite poses and vinyasa sequences: downward facing dog, warrior variations, triangle pose, lots of plank and side planks, chaturanga and upward facing dog. The second part is balancing poses and seated stretches.

The instructor and creator, Tony Horton is definitely tolerable as far as fitness instructors go. He explains things really well and finds a balance between being motivating, without having to be too in your face about it.

Yoga X will be very challenging for someone new to yoga, and definitely worthwhile for intermediate and advanced exercisers. The program is not wussy or too eccentric like many yoga DVDs I have tried, and I would recommend it to anybody interested in practicing yoga at home to supplement their existing weight lifting, cardio, and flexibility programs.

Try It!

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10 Healthy Items to Stock up on.

If you are looking to shop healthy and stock up on nutritional items, here are foods you shouldn't skip:

Refrigerator

1. Fresh produce. Carrots are used in many recipes and they store well for a few weeks. Other produce can include: Spinach, celery, mixed greens, apples, oranges, kale, broccoli, sweet peppers and mushrooms.

2. Cottage Cheese. I use it all of the time for lunch. Paired with an English muffin this snack gives you energy, satisfies cheese cravings, and is low in fat, with a lot of protein.

3. Milk. Milk is used in cooking and many people enjoy a glass with dinner, or in cereal. Skim or 1% is best for less fat and is high in protein. Milk is also good for bones and teeth.

4. Eggs or egg whites. Eggs are healthy! They contain many vitamins and nutrients and give you energy like nothing else. Eggs are also high in protein and make an excellent breakfast on their own or paired with whole grain toast, a tomato and mixed greens.

5. Lean meat or tofu. Always have a lean protein handy. Protein fills you up, repairs muscle tissue and aids healthy skin and hair.

Cupboards

6. Whole grain brown rice. This is a staple that can be used frequently. Paired with vegetables, grains and pulses brown rice is extremely healthy and has both complex carbohydrates and protein while being low in fat.

7. Chickpeas. These are so versatile. They can be eaten on their own, with rice, bread, salad, soup, stew, and the list goes on. Chickpeas have a perfect balance of carbs and protein. They're filling and delicious!

8. Whole Wheat Couscous. I like couscous because the pasta is so small that it digests easily and is a healthier alternative to normal pasta. Couscous can be served cold, as a salad, or warm for dinner. It's also perfect for a meal on the go. Couscous takes 5 minutes to prepare!

9. Soup. Always have some soup handy for an energizing snack that is quick to prepare, low in fat and high in vegetable content. Eat on its own or served with bread or salad.

10. Seasoning. Seasoning and spices are your best friend if you are switching to healthier food for the first time. Cooking with spices will change your opinion of home cooked meals forever. If you are worried about healthy food being too bland, if you're used to eating fast food and out at restaurants, have no fear! Spices, when used properly add a new dimension of flavour to anything!

What do you always have to have in your kitchen?

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Soup's On!

I've been on a real soup kick lately. Check out my post from a while back on Soup and Stew Benefits and Preparation.

A great reason to incorporate soups into your weekly nutritional plan is they are usually low in fat/calories, filling, and packed with vegetables! Adding more vegetables into your diet is wonderful for energy levels and healthy skin. Soup is a fantastic meal for weight loss or maintenance and with so many varieties to choose from, it's never a boring meal.

I like to eat soup with a small ancient grain bread roll to quench the carbohydrate craving but sprinkled whole grain bread crumbs, crackers or bread sticks works well too. Also try salad with a bit of cheese and nuts for dinner.

If you are in a hurry and don't have time to make soup from scratch opt for jarred or boxed soups instead of canned for a lower sodium and preservative content.

Soup for lunch on a winter day is just as comforting as macaroni and cheese, or stuffed baked potatoes but a whole lot healthier and beneficial to health and wellness.

Try It!

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Strength Training Tip...SQUEEZE!

When lifting weights it's almost too easy to lift with the wrong muscles. Especially during back and chest exercises it's common to lift with nearly everything BUT the muscles that are suppose to be targeted.

Here's a tip:

Right before you start lifting, squeeze the muscle you are trying to isolate. This "activates" the muscle group. Think of this as "waking up" the muscle and preparing it for doing the work.

Next, focus on using that muscle to assist with the rising and lower phase of your reps. For example, with chest flyes, focus on squeezing your outer pecs to bring the weights toward the centre of your chest and then lengthen those muscles to lower the weights in a semi circle (butterfly) motion back down to shoulder level.

By practicing body awareness in this way, and any other way that works for you, exercise become more effective. Weight lifting is more purposeful because every exercise you try will be working the muscle as it was intended and results will most definitely happen quickly, and the overall physique will be more symmetrical and ideal.

Lift Smart!

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Great Weather in Toronto!

Funny enough, after my Global TV segment on winter activities the temperature did a 180 turn and now Toronto feels like it's spring in the city.

Okay, so no tobogganing, and I definitely wouldn't recommend a snow angel! However, this is even better (global warming aside)!

Take advantage of warmer than seasonal weather by getting outside, walking, cycling, jogging and doing all of the activities you have been missing since the fall.

I walked 40 minutes yesterday to an appointment and it was fantastic. I could not believe I was going for a morning walk in the middle of January.

This is going to be a great week for running any errands that you dread in the cold or for walking the kids to school instead of driving. If you have a personal trainer, as her/him to take you out running, or to do an outdoor park workout.

Basically, do whatever you can outside and enjoy the break in winter while we can!

Get Outside!

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Be Happy With Who You Are

"Nobody really cares if you're miserable, so you might as well be happy."

Cynthia Nelms

"To live happily is an inward power of the soul."

Aristotle

"What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I'd realized it sooner."

Colette

"Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means you've decided to look past the imperfections."

Unknown

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful."

Herman Cain

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Young Adults Who Exercise Get Higher IQ Scores

I just finished reading This Article at Daily Science. This major study that took place at the Sahlegrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden.

The study involved 1.2 million men enrolled in the military, born between 1950 and 1976. The men were tested on physical fitness and IQ when they enrolled. The study shows a clear link between being fit, and achieving higher IQ scores. This doesn't mean being "strong" but being fit, with a good heart and lung capacity, with oxygen flowing to your brain.

The study also showed that the fit men at 18, were more likely to get a better education and obtain a more secure, higher paying job later in life,

Very interesting!

Speaking for myself, exercise immediately "clears the cobwebs." Since I started exercising six years ago I know I my cognitive abilities have improved. You hear the saying "It's not all about looks you know.."

Exercise your body, your brain will love you!

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Very Helpful Dorm Room/Home Workout Article

This article has a great collection of links to help with your dorm room exercise routine. This goes to show that you don't need fancy gym equipment, a lot of space, or even a gym membership to stay healthy and be in great shape.

100 Easy And Awesome Exercises You Can Do In Your Dorm

Even if you are not a college or university student, this article has plenty of inspiration and ideas for working out with minimal equipment in smaller spaces.

Check it Out!

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Fitness For Families in the Winter, GLOBAL TV Tuesday January 12/2010

If you reside in Toronto or the GTA be sure to check out my segment on Global TV this evening between 6 and 7pm EST. I'll be doing a segment on fitness in the winter and how to keep your family fit during the cold winter months.

Here are some convincing stats from The Canadian Medical Association:

25% of kids aged 12 to 17 are overweight
Obesity has grown more than 50% in the last twenty years
Canadian children spend 5 hours infront of the TV or computer everyday
9% of parents do not acknowledge obesity in their children.

Winter Activities burn a ton of calories:

Approximate Calories Burned Per Hour:
Snowboarding, 400
Skiing (downhill) 250
Skiing (cross country) 450
Skating 300
Showshoeing 400
Running in the snow 500+
Running/Playing 300
Tobagganing 400

The winter weather makes it harder to stay in shape but it's still defintiely possible by finding activities you love and most importantly, just getting out there and doing something!

Stay warm and be fit!

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Monday Motivation, 10 Tips for Self Motivation

1. Tell family and friends your goals. This creates a team of cheerleaders and also, a bit of healthy pressure to get things done.

2. Stay organized by planning ahead. If you plan to exercise in the morning, lay out your gym clothes and get in to them before you do anything else after waking up.

3. Dangle the carrot. Have a reward waiting for you such as a shopping spree after reaching toning goals.

4. Visualize successful outcomes.

5. Be persistent.

6. Be patient. Nothing happens in a day. Break goals down in to smaller, more manageable "micro goals" and take it one step at a time.

7. Read and listen to related motivational material. For example, if you want to become great at yoga, watch videos of the best instructors practicing. Seeing what they can do always motivates me!

8. Have fun with everything you do.

9. Understand that failure happens. Don't judge yourself on one botched attempt. Keep going!

10. Stay positive and pass good energies on to everybody around you. It comes around full circle.

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Strengthen your Home Yoga Practice

If you do not take yoga classes, but enjoy practicing, you are not alone! Many yoga enthusiasts prefer the comfort of their own home and enjoy doing yoga on their own schedule. While this approach to yoga can slow down progress, mostly by not having a teacher explain and correct, it's still easy to progress with a rewarding home practice.

Follow these simple tips for an improved at home yoga practice:

1. PRACTICE!

If you are serious about strengthening your yoga routine it's essential that you practice for at least 20 minutes two to three times a week. This is primarily important for muscle memory and retaining achieved flexibility. Have you ever made progress in flexibility, taken a week off, and then realized you were back to square one? It's important to build momentum with any exercise routine. Yoga will improve strength, flexibility, balance and co ordination and the more you improve the better you can get in to poses and learn about the way your body works and moves, which ultimately, makes a better student.

2. Listen/Read

Whether you learn yoga from a DVD, book or online it's helpful to constantly review your material. Even basic poses such as the warrior or strength exercises like the squat need constant form reviews to perfect. If you practice yoga to a DVD listen to instructions carefully, as the most subtle movement or placement in yoga can make a world of difference. Practicing on your own requires more in depth research and persistence to make the most of your sessions. I also find it to be extremely helpful to watch videos online from yoga blogs, youtube and podcasts.

3. Hire an In Home Yoga Teacher

It's a great idea to hire a yoga instructor periodically. A teacher will help to correct form and to make sure you are on the right track. I would recommend seeking extra help every other month or so. About a week before your session start to write down any questions or concerns that come to mind during your practice to make the most out of a professionally trained yoga teacher.

Yoga is a wonderful exercise full of both physical and mental benefits. It's not uncommon to practice on your own but follow these tips to make the most out of your growing yoga practice for effective and safe sessions.

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Walking: An Underestimated Effective Exercise

As of October I have developed a troublesome knee injury. I'm not allowed to run, but I can walk. I was very unhappy with this prescription at first because, well, I'm a runner! I honestly thought my results would retrogress and I'd become this total out of shape blob. Nothing could be farther from the truth!

It's just that I walk...A lot! I probably accumulate over two hours of walking a day. I thought that walking on the treadmill at home, as my cardio workout, would do me no good because I walk so much anyway in my daily routine.

The thing is, I don't walk for 30 minutes straight at 4/MPH swinging my arms. It's a totally different workout. I sweat, I breath even heavier than when I run, and I feel fatigued by the end. It's a completely worthwhile cardio routine and it's definitely not just for beginners. I lost weight at first because I "shocked my body into change" with a challenging workout.

Walking is not only great for fitness, it's amazing for health benefits such as: lowered risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke, lowering blood pressure and bad cholesterol.

If you want to get into shape and you have no equipment, I definitely recommend 20 to 40 minutes of brisk walking 3 to 4 times a week. You can walk anywhere and all you need is a good pair of shoes. Throw some push ups, squats, crunches and other body weight exercises in before or after your workouts, and you are already headed toward a well rounded fitness regimen!

Get Fit!

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Simple Diet Guidelines for New Years Weight Loss Resolutions

Losing weight through diet and exercise is the tried and true recipe for maintaining a healthy body weight. Nutrition plays a primary factor in results and it's essential to have a balanced diet that not only fuels workouts properly and provides adequate nutrition but aids weight loss by being healthy and served in moderate portions.

Three Simple Nutrition Guidelines for Weight Loss

1. Mix and Match

If every meal (either 3 larger meals or 5 to 6 smaller) consists of fruits/vegetables, 1 protein and 1 (whole grain) carbohydrate portion, you are on the right track to weight loss success. Consider a portion to be the size of the palm of your hand. Some examples include: Mixed greens (or spinach) salad with red beans and walnuts, Sliced fruit and cheese on crackers, brown rice with tofu and steamed vegetables and a cup of fruit, yogurt and granola.

2. Cut the Crap

This is the hardest part but also, this after taking this step, the pounds will surely disappear: Cut out all refined sugars, fried, battered and junk foods. These foods can be substituted with healthy alternatives such as: Pita wedges (or carrots) and hummus for late night snacking, fruit juice or homemade fruit tea instead of pop, and steamed or baked vegetables instead of french fries as a side dish.

3. Get Moving

Aid digestion by moving after eating. By doing this you will not feel groggy after a bigger meal and the food will digest more quickly and help to increase the metabolic rate. It's a good time for a walk, to do some housework, or to run errands. Get in the habit of moving after meals because there's a lot of energy stored and it has to go someplace. It's better used on productivity rather than stored as excess fat in your body.

These guidelines are simple (as promised) but guaranteed to get you started on the year long journey to reaching New Years weight loss resolutions. So move after you eat healthy meals in moderate portions and let the junk food aisle suffer for a little while without you.

Good Luck in 2010!

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Monday Quotes, Happy 2010!

"Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!

This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!"
William Arthur Ward

"We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day."
Edith Lovejoy Pierce

"Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right."
Oprah Winfrey

"People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas"
Unknown

"Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go."
Brooks Atkinson

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AMAZING Vegetarian Chili

We made this for Christmas Eve dinner and it was the perfect winter recipe. The spices make the flavour incredible. It's easy, healthy and can be refrigerated for a few days to enjoy another day.

Raisin and Cashew Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon (or less) olive oil
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
1 can diced tomatoes (16 oz.)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 cup cashews
1/3 cup raisins
2 cans dark red kidney beans (15 oz. each) OR 1 can red, 1 white for colour.

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot. Chop the onion, pepper, and celery, and cook in the oil 10 minutes over medium heat.

2. Stir in the garlic, basil, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper.

3. Add the tomato sauce, tomatoes, vinegar, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low, and cook 2 minutes.

4. Stir in the cashews and raisins, and cook over low heat for 16 minutes.

5. Add the beans, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.

For a special occassion this recipe pairs wonderfully with red wine.

Serves 4 to 6

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