Quick autumn soup

When exercising, it's important to monitor your intensity to make sure you're working at a pace that is challenging enough to help you reach your goals, but not so hard that you blow a lung. One way to do that is to use a Perceived Exertion Scale. The standard is the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, which ranges from 0-20. For everyday workouts we can use the scale outlined below. In general, for most workouts you want to be at around Level 5-6. If you're doing interval training, you want your recovery to be around a 4-5 and your intensity blasts to be at around 8-9. As you'll see below, working at a level 10 isn't recommended for most workouts. For longer, slower workouts, keep your PE at Level 5 or lower.

• Level 1: I'm watching TV and eating bon bons
• Level 2: I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day long
• Level 3: I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harder
• Level 4: I'm sweating a little, but feel good and can carry on a conversation effortlessly
• Level 5: I'm just above comfortable, am sweating more and can still talk easily
• Level 6: I can still talk, but am slightly breathless
• Level 7: I can still talk, but I don't really want to. I'm sweating like a pig
• Level 8: I can grunt in response to your questions and can only keep this pace for a short time period
• Level 9: I am probably going to die
• Level 10: I am dead

If you think back about 10 years, no one knew what the word gluten meant, let alone given any thought to avoiding it. Today gluten free diets are being touted as the cure all for tummy aches, weight loss, sluggishness and everything else you can think of. Take a stroll down any isle of your local Whole Foods and you will see the vast array of gluten free foods available. It is safe to say the food companies have found another way to market their wares.

A gluten free lifestyle, while being touted by some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, is said to contribute to increased energy, a thinner body, less intenstinal discomfort and reduced belly fat. What is gluten you ask? It is the protein found in grains, barley, wheat and rye. It is what gives bread its spongy texture, makes pizza dough stretchy and is used in sauces and soups to thicken them.

Gluten free diets have basis in science, and there is a segment of the population who suffer from a chronic digestive disorder called Celiac disease. To them gluten is truly evil as it illicits an immune response from their bodies which regard even the tiniest crumb as an invader. This immune system reaction leaves the intestinal tract damaged and if left untreated causes great discomfort, nutritional deficiencies, intestinal cancers, infertility and osteoporosis.

Once upon a time this disease was thought to be very rare, but recent advances in detection have concluded that one in 10,000 people are affected. In many cases it is still undiagnosed as the disease and gluten sensitivity mimic alot of other diseases. Now there is emerging data that non celiac gluten sensitivity is on the rise. It’s symptoms are similiar to celiac disease, but unlike celiac disease it does not damage the intestine. For years we have known that the disorder existed but until recently the number of afflicted persons(estimated around 30 million) was not widely acknowledged.

Without being an alarmist, I want to make people aware of the facts and not have everyone jump on the gluten free bandwagon. As was stated in a previously with regards to milk, the way to exclude a possible culprit is to remove it from your diet for a period of time. Monitor the way you feel, and then introduce it back in after 2 weeks. If the symptoms return after you have re-introduced the offender back in your diet, then you have a starting point

There is nothing magical about a gluten free diet, so please don’t jump on the latest fad without research. A gluten free product can leave you with nutritional deficiencies and in many instances has more calories, fat and sugar in order to make up for taste. And just because you give up bread doesn’t mean you can replace it with gluten free cakes. I personally limit the amount of bread, whole wheat or otherwise that I allow into my body. I just don’t do well on high carbohydrates and I feel that my body responds better to a high protein diet. I have not excluded gluten from my diet, mostly because it is a giant pain in the butt. It is everywhere from salad dressings, to bread, sauces, and seasonings. Also for many people gluten foods are the only way they get fiber in their diet.

What you can do is limit the amount of processed foods in your diet. Carefull meal planning will help you avoid the overprocessed foods that clutter the supermarket shelves.

I have listed some of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity below:

Chronic diarrhea or constipation

Abdominal pain and bloating

Anemia

Fatigue

Unexplained weight loss

Infertility (celiac disease)

Having one or more of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you are gluten sensitive, but it would not hurt to check with your health care provider.

Are You Powerless to Holiday Pounds?

The season of deck-your-waist-with-extra-pounds is officially here.

So what are you going to do about it?

Will you join the masses who faithfully gain 5 pounds between November and January?

Or will you do something different this year?

It is entirely possible to avoid the dreaded holiday chub by following this simple strategy:

All About Power
To begin, it’s important that you approach your goal from a place of I can rather than I can’t.

Most diet and weight loss plans begin by outlining everything that you can’t eat. You can’t enjoy the buffet at your office holiday party. You can’t taste the fudge that your aunt Frances made. You can’t partake in the seasonal coffee drinks. You can’t, you can’t, you can’t.

It shouldn’t be surprising when the diet only last a few days before your inner rebel breaks out and defies all the rules by mowing through an entire plate of Christmas cookies in one sitting.

When you begin from a place of can’t, you forfeit all of the power.

On the other hand, when you approach your goal from a place of I can, the power swings back into your favor. Use these 3 steps to re-gain your power:

1. Focus on positive action.
Rather than obsess over what you can’t eat this holiday season, I want you to take the positive action of exercising into your own hands. Every time that you complete a workout feel the surge of empowerment that comes with the accomplishment.

2. Schedule positive action.
The next step is to concretely schedule your workout sessions. I advise that you exercise even more during the holiday season than normal, since you will be taking in more calories. If you normally exercise 3 times each week for 30 minutes, then plan to exercise 5 times each week for 45 minutes.

3. Reward yourself for positive action.
At the end of each week take the time to reward yourself for successfully completing each scheduled workout. Don’t use food as a reward, since you’ll be taking in extra calories as it is. A massage, a new outfit, a leisurely hour spent at a coffee shop, or even a well deserved nap are all great ways to reward yourself.

What You Believe
The people who won’t gain any weight this holiday season already know it. How? They’ve decided not to gain weight, and they believe it.

Do you believe that you won’t gain weight this year?. Or are your past failures keeping you less than confident?.

Let’s create a strong belief that you won’t be powerless to holiday pounds.

4 steps needed to create a belief:

Step One: Identify the basic belief. I won’t gain weight this holiday season.

Step Two: Reinforce your belief by adding new and more powerful references. This means focusing on the reasons that you don’t want to gain the weight. Get out a sheet of paper and list all of the cons to you gaining an extra 5 or 10 pounds over the holidays. Spend a lot of time on this step. Reiterate to yourself over and over why you don’t want to gain the weight.

Step Three: Find a triggering event, or create one of your own. Disturb yourself. Try on your bathing suit, or better yet go out and try on bathing suits in dressing rooms with that awful lighting. Try on your skinny jeans. Try on last year’s cocktail dress. Try on that outfit at the back of your closet that you still can’t fit into.

Step Four: Take action. Get started on your exercise program – right now. Taking action is the most important step, and the most rewarding.

Call or email me right now, I’ll help you get started on an exercise program and guide you step-by-step all the way to success. Who knows?. I may even get you to your New Year’s Resolution before January even starts.

Give yourself the power to overcome holiday pounds – get started now.
Don’t Stress

The holidays can become a stressful time, with places to go, presents to wrap and parties to plan. There is ample evidence that stress has a negative effect on your body and your metabolism. When your body is under stress it produces cortisol, a hormone related to the fight or flight response. This increase in cortisol causes weight gain, decreased metabolism and even depression.

This holiday season don’t let stress get the better of you. Give yourself time to relax – you’ll be leaner for it.

Where are you most of the day? 

I’m not talking about physically…I mean mentally.  Where are your thoughts during most of your waking hours?

Well, if you’re like most of us your mind is off in a million different directions at any particular moment.   

That’s because as women we all wear a number of “hats” (worker, mother, housekeeper, tutor, chauffeur, cook, psychotherapist, etc.)  You’re running through: the shopping list, the tasks at work, that thing you have to do for your kid next week…and on and on.  The to-do list is endless and more items just keep getting added to the bottom.

So, it is perfectly understandable that most of us spend our day either thinking about what happened in the past or worrying about what might happen in the future.  And that is a major cause of stress — not “being” in your life as its happening. 

Think about it.  If you were really living in this moment right now, if that was all you were focused on — how stressed could you be?  Stress is an internal dialog about what happened previously or what might happen down the line.  In the present moment we are just BEING, not analyzing being.

An even more insidious aspect of not being present in the moment…is that these moments actually ARE our lives — and most of us aren’t even experiencing them as they are going on.  That’s pretty tragic, actually. Life is happening right now — and where “are” we?  We are 25-minutes ahead in our thoughts standing in the frozen food section buying peas.  But if you’re like most of us it’s hard to keep your mind from operating like that.  Isn’t it?

And that is why meditation is a good thing — especially for women.

Sure, meditation has a lot of high falootin’ metaphysical connotations, but in its most basic form, is really just being present in the actual moment.   It’s about just “being here now” — not thinking about where you’ve been or worrying about where you’re headed.   Just taking some time, closing your eyes, sitting quietly and breathing…just a couple of minutes to simply exist without a lot of static running through your head.

Most of the women I know are open to the idea of meditating on a conceptual level, but it sounds complicated…and in some ways it is.  But its also very simple.  You don’t have to put on a turban, become a vegan, start wearing Birkenstocks — or stop shaving your underarms.

So, if you’re interested here are some cut-to-the-chase ideas for making meditation work in your life.

Make some time.  Ideally, its best to try to do it first thing in the morning.  But if you have small children this may not be practical.  So just find a point in your day when you can grab some quiet time.  At night before bed.  In the middle of the afternoon — whenever it fits into your schedule. 

Get quiet.  This is a tough one in our culture.  Between our TVs, I-pods, the internet — we’re all on sensory overload.  But the idea is to disconnect from that for a little while (believe me, it will be waiting for you when you get back and try to find a few moments of peace and quiet.

Sit tall.  You want to sit in a comfortable position, but not so comfortable that you’re in danger of falling asleep.  You can lie down, if that’s more comfortable.  But its a good idea to bend your knees and put your feet flat on the floor so you are less likely to doze off.

Close your eyes and breathe deeply.   You can breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth or nose (whichever you prefer), but try not to breathe through your mouth only.

Clear your mind.  Okay, I’ll grant you…this one is sometimes easier said than done. But there are a few ways to try to do just that.  You can repeat a sound or mantra, such as “ah” or “om”, or a word that has special meaning for you, like “peace” or “calm”.  Or you can just focus on your own breath coming in and out of your body. 

Try to “watch your thoughts” from a distance.  As thoughts come into your head, try to let them pass through without getting wrapped up in them — sort of like watching clouds drift past on a summer day. 

Do what you can.  A lot of women think they don’t have the time.  But it really doesn’t take much.  A little goes a long, long way towards reducing stress and teaching you what it means to be “present”.  Time spent here can make all your other time that much better. Even 5-min. while you’re waiting in your car to pick up the kids can really help.

Don’t turn meditating into another source of stress.   There are enough things in your life that you can obsess about, please don’t make meditation one of them.  It’s great if you can set up a regular daily meditation practice, but if you can’t don’t beat yourself up about it. Do it when you can, do it as well as you can.  Remember you are doing something good for yourself no matter what you do. 

Do you Eat to Live or Live to Eat?.

Ask yourself this question. Do you live to eat or eat to live?. I get emails everyday with people upset because they cannot seem to lose weight, even people working out every day and not getting the results they want. It’s a simple answer back every time but one most people do not like to hear. WHAT YOU ARE PUTTING IN YOUR MOUTH IS WHY YOU ARE NOT LOSING THE FAT AND WEIGHT.

I know for some people that may seem like a harsh approach but at times you have to tell it how it is not how someone wants to hear it. I want people to understand their bodies and reach their goals the healthy way. Teaching them the right things they must put in their bodies and how to effectively workout.

So how do you control what you are eating?. You have to get your mindset geared like many other things in your life. You sometimes do not want to wake up in the morning to go to work but you do it because you have to pay the bills. You have daily responsibilities that are essential in keeping your family comfortable. Think of things this way. You had a super stressful day at work and need to vent. Going straight home after work may lead to an argument with the spouse because you are short fused and we sometimes take things out on the ones we love most, or maybe you are the type that may go get a few drinks at “Happy Hour” to calm your nerves. Sound like something you may resort too?. First off alcohol is a depressant which is the last thing you would want during a stressful time. A glass of wine before bed from time to time can be calming; a bottle of wine would be bad. I won’t get into why drinking is bad on a nutrition standpoint but let’s just say water is a much better alternative.

In times things that happen in the past shape our future and who we are but negative things happening can also keep you from being who you are. I always explain things by saying road A or road B. When something negative happens do you run to make another negative choice such as drinking or eating a carton of ice cream? How about you go to the gym and punch away on a boxing bag cook yourself some good healthy food and focus on the positive things in your life. The negatives always have a way of working themselves out by YOU CUTTING THEM OUT.

I got in a very bad car accident at the High of my career in 2005. I had just been on the Reality TV Manhunt with Carmen Electra, I had landed the cover of Men’s workout and was planning on moving to La to further my career and in a glimpse of a second BOOM my dreams were taken away. Everything I had worked so hard for was taken away. I couldn’t workout; I started making bad choices with my diet and my lifestyle. The snowball of negativity leads to the feeling of Rock Bottom. In this instance I choice Road B the road that leads to nothing but more negative. About 9 months later I finally started feeling up to working out again but what was my reasoning, I had fallen off the planet, I had lost my body and was no longer getting booked for jobs. That was the day I looked in the mirror and said enough is enough, I knew all along that was not me; this lifestyle was not me it was a waste of life and would only lead to negativity. I wanted growth and positive again so I made the choices that would help get me there. I cut every single negative person, place and changed my lifestyle. Slowly I was getting myself, my body and my life back. Out of nowhere the cover of Muscle and Body came out with Jennifer Nicole Lee (ab circle pro girl) and I on it. This got me back in the mix and really helped me see that at any moment it can be taken away so never take it for granted.

Are you that person that maybe went through a tough divorce and feels like they could never trust again? Are you the person that had a baby 3 years ago and still make the excuse that you are overweight because women’s bodies never get back to where they were post pregnancy? Are you the main provider in the house and you lost your job through the tough economical times? Each situation is unique in its own but each one can be taken care of to help make your life more positive again
If you are still holding on to things that you know are keeping you from reaching your goals or making your life better you need to sit down and ask yourself a question, Ready.. AM I WORTH IT? Ask yourself that, the answer should always be the same YES. So what can you do to get that negative past out of your life. Here are a few things

I BELIEVE IN YOU. What is most important though is that you believe in yourself. Tell yourself you can accomplish anything and in time you will. Hope you have a great upcoming weekend

Daily we recieve emails from people wanting to lose weight or build muscle. One of the most common questions I’m asked is “does drinking really affect the muscle growth and fat burning process?” I’m sorry to say it, but yes, too much alcohol will almost definitely have a significant negative impact on your muscle-building/fat burning results. Alcohol is far more harmful than most people think, and it’s very important that you understand how this drug (yes, alcohol is a drug) is affecting your progress. This is not an anti-drug speech, but if you’re serious about achieving a truly impressive physique, you should definitely be aware of the 6 main ways that alcohol is slowing down your gains and causing you to store fat.

1) Dehydration.

The kidneys must filter very large amounts of water in order to break down the alcohol, and this can result in severe dehydration within the body. Water plays an absolutely crucial role in the muscle-building process, and being even slightly dehydrated is a recipe for disaster. The muscles alone are comprised of 70% water.  When dehydrated you are weaker, have less energy and your mind is not as clear.  Bottom line you just do not function as efficently.

2) It negatively affects protein synthesis.

Protein synthesis is the process where amino acids are joined together to form complete proteins. Excessive alcohol consumption slows this process down by up to 20%, and since your muscles are made up of protein, you can see how this is a problem.  You put positive things in your body you will get positive results.

3) It lowers testosterone levels and increases estrogen.

Testosterone is the most important muscle-building hormone in your body. One of the limiting factors that determines how much muscle a person can gain is their level of free-flowing testosterone.  If this decreases then so will your muscle gaining in turn causing you to not burn fat as quickly.

4) It increases fat storage.

With 7 empty calories per gram, alcohol can actually be quite fattening. It can also lead to making mistakes with what you are eating if intoxicated.   If your eating and drinking more calories then your burning which typically happens when you go out for a night of fun you will store fat.   Changing your body is about positive choice making.  It can domino in a very positive way or a negative way, this is something you have control over.

5) It depletes the body of vitamins and minerals.

Alcohol consumption causes vitamins A, C, the B’s, calcium, zinc and phosphorus to all be drained at rapid rates. Vitamins and minerals keep every little process in your body functioning properly, and many of these processes involve muscle growth/fat burning and maintenance.

6) Increased appitite.

Alcohol has been shown to increase peoples appitietes. Drinking can cause you to not make the best of choices when it comes to food choices.  Think of a long night at the bar, drinking one to many drinks.  The last thing you want to eat is a piece of grilled chicken and broccoli, You want something very filling because the only calories you have had are empty ones for the different drinks you have.  You want soemthing fatty and salty at 1am. You typically will go to bed after eating this meal so these are calories that will not be burned off and will be stored adding to your fat weight

It’s important to have fun in life, but too much fun can lead to problems. If you’re serious about achieving significant muscle-building results, you definitely need to monitor your intake of alcohol and make sure that you are consuming it in moderation. A few drinks here and there shouldn’t be a problem, but if you find yourself drinking every weekend you can almost certainly kiss your muscle gains goodbye.

If your goals are to achieve the body you have always wanted and feel great then I recommend keeping your drinking to a minimum.  Don’t be afraid to go out and have a good time once in a while. Just make sure to keep your drinking limited and properly nourish yourself to lessen its effects by drinking lots of water and electrolytes. As long as you monitor what you’re doing you can achieve an impressive physique and have a social life at the same time.

Next to air, water is most essential to life. The human body is made up of about 70% water. Almost every cell in the body requires water to function properly. If you really think about this fact it is amazing that so many people do not drink enough water. Your body can survive without food for about a couple of weeks but without water you could only survive a couple of days. An important fact to remember is to drink enough water so that the body can metabolize fat adequately.

Benefits to drinking water while losing weight:

1) Drinking water regulates the appetite. Water is a natural appetite suppressant, so developing a good water drinking habit can be a long-term aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight..

2) Water helps to increases metabolism

3) Drinking water will boost your energy level

How much water to drink when dieting ?

Although it is recommended that you should drink 8-10 glasses of water per day, there is no clear-cut answer as to how much water to drink per day, because it depends upon a number of factors like your health condition, your activity level and a lot of other factors. A good formula to know how much water to drink is to divide your weight in half, and use that number in ounces of water. For example, for someone who weighs 130 pounds, 65 ounces of water would be required per day which would equal to about 8 glasses.

When you are exercising you need to drink water to keep hydrated, the Mayo Clinic recommends that if your level of exercising is moderate you need an extra 1-2 cups of water. For intense exercise like running, you need to add an extra 2-3 cups of water. Most people wait until they are thirsty to drink water but if you are waiting until you are thirsty you are already dehydrated.

Why so many are dehydrated

I think that one of the reasons we don’t drink enough water is because water has no taste, it does not seam exciting or appetizing to the palate.

There are many ways we can spruce up the taste of water to make it more exciting to the taste buds. For example, you can add flavored packets to your drinking water.

Another thing you can do is to buy water bottles in your favorite color and always take one with you in the car, or when you go out so that you are never dehydrated.

One thing that I do is add a slice of lemon to my water with a little low calorie sweetener and I pour it over crushed ice, this makes for a great drink. I drink lots of seltzer water which I make myself and I add my favorite fruit flavors to it, its really easy and I am sure I get enough water for the day.

Water is especially good for you, so make a habit of waking up and having a glass of water. Make it your first drink of liquid for the day before you get the cup of coffee, and in place of having a soda with one of your meals drink a glass of water. Make water drinking a habit then it will become second nature.

Tip: An easy way to make sure you are drinking enough water is to observe the color of your urine. Your urine should be a very pale yellow, if not, you may need to increase your consumption of water.