3 Easy Food swaps!

3 Flat Belly Food Swaps #1 - Swap OUT brown rice, Swap IN quinoa While brown rice is thought to be the healthy grain, there's one even better, and that's quinoa. Quinoa is a gluten free grain that contains double the protein of brown rice along with greater fiber content and a lower glycemic load. Not only that, but quinoa is the ONLY grain to contain complete protein and the full spectrum of amino acids.  It comes in several varieties, including "oatmeal-like" flakes and it's wholegrain rice-like form. Enjoy it as an oatmeal substitute for breakfast, in salads or casseroles, or as a wholesome whole-grain, high protein side item to any lunch or dinner meal. #2 - Swap OUT bran flakes, Swap IN Ezekial Golden Flax Cereal Ezekial bread is over 100% whole wheat, and today I'm here to fill you in on another great Ezekial product, Golden Flax Cereal. Golden Flax contains 8 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving, along with plenty of fiber and EFAs making it far superior to Bran Flakes or any other "whole grain" cereal. #3 - Swap OUT ground beef, Swap IN ground bison Truthfully, I'm not against beef or ground beef for that matter, but if you're looking for a leaner, more nutritious alternative to beef (especially for those Protein and Carb meals), look no further than Bison (buffalo). Bison is generally 60-80% leaner than beef while containing nearly 30% more protein per ounce.  It's great for burgers and steaks alike and is a great substitute for any recipe calling for beef to add variety and nutrition to your weekly diet. You to can trick the family into eating it.

MyFitnessPal App

During a class last week we started talking about an app some of the ladies use called MyFitnessPal. It is a free app that you can download to your phone, iPad or tablet to track your calories. I am not one for tracking calories, but the ladies were saying how easy it was. So Friday I downloaded the app and set it up. It was easy, but would I really do it? Since then I have tracked every day, and I love it! 

The app has tons of quick options to choose from, plus you can just scan the bar code and the information appears in your phone. Adding recipes is easy too.

Since I have been using the app I have been more conscious about what I am eating. However, the calories sometimes do scare me. On Friday I did 2 classes and the app gave me 1400 extra calories, which I think was a little high.  It made my allowed intake for the day 2600 calories. No way would I eat that many! I did eat 1500, which I think is good when you work out so much. At the end of the day you hit “Complete this entry” and it tells you how much you will weigh in 5 weeks if you continue eating the same way. It also tells you when you don’t eat enough, and that if you’re eating too few calories you will not receive adequate nutrition and will put your body into starvation mode, which will lower your metabolism and make weight loss more difficult.  I think that’s great! I have said it before - you must fuel your body. The app also shows you your percentage of carbs, proteins, and fats for the day, so you can gauge where you are and where you need to change things.

MyFitnessPal app is free and is great if it works for you. Why don’t you give it a try and see? Let me know what you think about it.

One last feature is that you can add friends and comment to each other for support. There’s also a log in for exercise. Kettlebell training is not thereL but you can add it yourself, and it is easy. I added 4 different kb exercise programs so I could add the right amount of calories:

800 for the really hard ones

700 for just the hard ones

650 for the not so bad ones

500 for those easy days

Hope you give it a try and “friend me” so I can support your hard work outside of the studio!

What works for you?

There are so many products and programs out there today to help you lose weight and get healthy. So how do you know what works and what does not?

If you are looking at different quick weight loss supplements, I am sure they all work, but what happens when you stop taking them? What are you putting into your body, and what side effects do they have? There are two reasons I don't normally recommend supplements to anyone. A few months ago, I believe it was Dr Oz had a show about raspberry ketones helping with weight loss. A few ladies were talking about it in class, so I watched the episode and decided to go out and buy some. Why not? What did I have to lose? (Ha-ha) So I started taking them, and two days later I had a horrible headache, which is not uncommon for me, so I thought nothing of it. After three days of the headache, my husband asked me if I had eaten something different. I thought it must be the raspberry ketones, so I stopped taking them, and the next day, no headache. Of course I stopped and never took one again. So I can't tell you if it works or not!

Programs like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, WeightNot, etc. can work for you too, IF you are going to follow the plan! Those of you who know me know that I am a "pusher" of eating fresh and not processed foods. I also know it is hard to change everything in one day; it takes time to make changes that last a lifetime. I know several women who have been successful with Weight Watchers, so if that works for you, great!

The other day in class some ladies were talking about the app MyFitnessPal, and they really seemed to like it! So last Friday I downloaded the app and I have been using it, and next blog I will let you how it's going and what I think about it. 

There are tons of different workouts out there also - something for everyone! Zumba, CrossFit, spin, yoga, and of course my personal favorite, kettlebells. When choosing a workout, it is important to make sure you not only get cardio in; weights are a must also- another reason I love kettlebells!
Ultimately, you need to find the workout that is going to work for you - one that you look forward to and one that keeps you wanting more. Sometimes it is not just the workout but the people you get to see there and friends you have made that keep you going. Since it is January lots of people made New Year's resolutions, but unfortunately, many have given up already.  When you start a new program you need to commit yourself for at least six weeks to really know if it is for you or not. No matter what the program is, it will be hard at first, so you have to stick with it to see if it’s for you or not. The same goes for any changes in your eating habits – you need to commit to change over a period of time to know if it is effective for you.

5-Day New Year Detox Rules:

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends.  It went so fast!

Personally, I'm feeling a bit bloated from the Christmas cookies, holidays foods, having to eat out a little more than normal with the painting! So I am starting my 5-day detox now, since I am finally back in the swing of things. 

Why go on a 5-day detox?  It's simple!   To cleanse my body of the extra sugars, salts and toxins that have built up over the past few days and get my body back on track. I am not talking about taking any program to detox the body; it is all good stuff!

Getting back on track after a cheat day is one of the MOST important things you can do for yourself. 

After a cheat day (or two) your body will be feeling tired and lethargic, and sometimes the last thing you want to do is get up and move around and detox, especially since your body will be craving the salts and sugars from the past couple of days.

I'd love for you to join in on the fun for this 5-day detox! I'll be doing this until the 21st:-)

Make sure to leave me a comment below if your up for the challenge.

1.  Green Smoothie for breakfast: One of my new favorite recipes, called Green Trekker, is inspired by a Whole Foods smoothie. In a blender, place 4 ice cubes, 6-8 oz. water, 1 huge handful fresh baby spinach, 1 heaping tsp. cacao powder, 1 handful frozen blueberries, 1/2 frozen banana, and 3 pitted dates.  Blend and enjoy!

Try other variations and be creative with it - but just make sure you add your greens in there - you won't even taste them!  The main goal with the green smoothies is to load your body with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, to alkalize your body and begin the detoxification process. 

2.  Drink at LEAST 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day.  Water consumed during your workouts does not count towards your daily total. (That's a general rule of thumb anyway)

Keep it interesting.  Find a really nice glass that you like and switch it up by adding sliced cucumber, strawberries, lemon, orange slices or other fun things to your water.

Also, make sure to keep water with you at ALL times so you can stay hydrated throughout the day to make your detox more effective.

3. Have a large salad for lunch.  Load it up with veggies- as much as you want.  Add about 4 ounces of protein (chicken, turkey, etc.)  Stay away from the iceberg, as it contains fewer nutrients and more water than spinach or a baby greens mix.  

For dressing, fresh squeeze a lemon over your salad.  If that won't cut it for you, you can make a light vinaigrette. 

Here's a great dressing: 1 cup extra virgin olive oil, ⅓ cup good quality aged balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbs. dried parsley, ½ tsp. sea salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, 1 Tbs. honey mustard  (organic if possible), 1 garlic clove, passed through a garlic press or minced (optional).  Add all ingredients into a bowl & whisk until thick and creamy.

4.  Dinner:  A palm-sized portion of a grilled/baked/steamed protein (like chicken or fish) and 2 servings of vegetables. 

5.  Get 6-8 hours of sleep every night.  Make an effort to go to bed earlier if you're not getting enough sleep.  Rest and recovery is critical for your body to get the most out of your 5-day detox.

6.  Exercise at least 20 minutes for 3 or more of the next 5 days.

7.  Other Basics:

• Caffeine: limit to 1 cup (and have green tea if you do). 
• Just say NO to left-over cookies, cakes and eggnog. Whatever is still hanging around, just get rid of it! 
• Need a snack? Have an apple with 1 Tbs. Almond Butter (NOT peanut butter), ahandful of raw nuts, or fresh-cut veggies with 2 Tbs. homemade guacamole.
• No dairy
• No Wheat products of any kind - breads, etc.  
• Focus on the OUTCOME of what you want.  Focus on feeling good, healthy, and energetic.  Don't focus on the foods or anything that will distract you from your end goal :-) 

That's it!  Not so bad, right!?

Ready to join me?  Make sure to leave a comment with your commitment by commenting below.