Application of knoweldge....

Do what you know is right, choose your life to be vibrant & full of energy...                        11.29.11

Its not what we know, its what we do.  The saying, “actions speak louder than words” in my world is what counts.  Having good intentions is only half of what is needed to accomplish something.  A former football coach of mine use to yell to the team, “you guys are all puff and no stuff!”  I’m sure y’all out there have many more sayings to make the point its not what you say, but what you do that counts when it is all said and done.

With me being a fitness professional and combining the practices of mental, social, physical, and emotional health to develop wellness solutions in the lives of others, I have high standards for be being an excellent example for others to follow.  I’m also well aware what works for one person, does not yield the same results for others.  My issue is I have diverted off my wellness path, at least for the last 3 weeks.  The lack of routine in my life right now, combined with a transition from moving from the south to the north, temporary living arrangements, no family to only family, and just basically having new challenges that I never faced before are taking their toll.

Time to adjust habits, patterns, routines with moving in a new direction!  Change starts NOW!

Tough times happen to all of us.  Life is a dynamic situation that is not the same from movement to moment.   Even though I have sound daily habits in the past they only continue to stay in balance if I practice healthy choices......When is a good time for you to apply what you know is the right thing to do, take time for your wellness in order to feel AMAZING!

Inside out, what the body NEEDS......

The Inside Parts....                        11.23.11

Understanding the science about what is happening inside the human body as it responds to healthy eating habits, appropriate amounts of physical activity, and sleeping is not fully practiced by many.  LIFE gets in the way of humans actually making sound, healthy choices in all parts of their day to day lives. 

If a person’s core body temperature raises or drops 5 degrees, the human system will start to shut down.  That is a small range considering the extreme temperatures we find on Earth.  Our bodies are complex systems that function based on ingesting 6 essential elements (Water, Vitamins, Minerals, Protein, Fats, & Carbohydrates), as well as having protection in the form of clothes & allowing the body to rest, repair, and recover via sleep.  In modern times humans have lost focus on what allows our bodies to feel the best, to be pain, injury, and disease free.   The concept garbage in becomes garbage out is what takes over if the body doesn’t get what it needs.  When was the last time you felt the best in all facets of your life??  For me its TODAY!!!

To many conversations I encounter with clients are about “can I eat this then work it off through my exercise routine?”.  Or, I can “cheat” on my diet tonight because its a special occasion or reward.  Food is NOT a reward, but a requirement and when a person “cheats on a diet” they are really depriving their bodies of a balanced nutrition intake.  I bring the focus to the point they aren’t eating the proper balanced diet (defined correctly as what a person eats over the course of 24 hours) with appropriate amount of essential elements.  The lack of nutrition seems to lose its focus with most peoples concept of what is healthy.

The human body can endure long periods of abuse through a low quality of life.  The body can compensate for shitty eating habits, but the bottom line is this you might to start to feel like shit. 

To know if I eat this, it will have a specific outcome on the inside of my body.  Either it will nourish, energize, grow, repair my body or slowly destroy the structure and function of its cells.  To know if I move this way, it will have a specific outcome with results that mirror the choices made.  To know if I perform these actions, it will have either rewards or consequences.   The simple results of simple decisions makes so many unhappy, one good example is having excess body fat.  How does being fat make one feel? 

When a person establishes a “high level” for quality of life through daily routines, the body responds in the most accommodating way....experiencing wellness through balancing your health.  My daily goal is to feel amazing, to wake up happy and make it stay that way.  Their are specific food that should NEVER be eaten not only because no nutritional value, but the contents and low quality ingredients will slowly destroy your quality of life... ....it has been known since the dawn of existence that the human body can heal ANY & ALL disease that takes place from within, when given the tools and time.

Numbers rule.

18 is a significant number in my life, not a favorite , but a symbol for positive decisions & situations :-), those that are in tune know what I mean !!!!

Nameste y'all....

A lifestyle full of MEDICINE!!!!

Proactive vs. Reactive Health Practices                    11.18.11

By balancing one of your four parts of health is good, but when all four parts are in balance we use a term saying that a person has achieved WELLNESS!!  Of course this is dynamic, meaning that it is always changing and needs to be kept in balance with simple personal choices of how our daily lives play out........

How do I make sound proactive healthy daily choices?  An active lifestyle is created easier when support from family is given, solid financial means through a career, and the know how, having the right information is key to working smarter, not harder with your personal health.  Making a plan or deciding to live a specific way (with healthy practices) requires time, patients, and most of all practice (like anything we want to get good at).

Consequences of not being proactive through daily healthy choices for a balanced lifestyle is basically getting sick and not feeling well.  If our body gets to much of anything it will breakdown and balance itself out.  When a person has an illness (physical health) they incur doctors bills, other healthcare costs with missing work (more money not gained) too.

 Putting quality, whole foods through a balanced diet, support feeling well and a healthy immune system.  Moving your body through daily physical activity increases the blood flow to all the vital organs and increases both a person’s metabolism (how a person process food through burning calories) and energy levels. 

Who want to feel better?  It starts with what you do each day, take proactive, small steps to incorporate a healthier lifestyle for you to THRIVE!!!!

Eating Green in more ways then one.....

                    11.17.11

Green Cuisine 
Eco-friendly eating is as easy as 1-2-3. 


One of the simplest and most effective ways to go green is by adjusting your diet. This habit not only will make an impact on your environment.  That’s not to say tossing out your favorites and filling your fridge with flax and grain, it simply means making wiser choices. These three simple steps will make green eating fun and easy!

1.    Choose Organic & Eat Simply
This may seem obvious, but by buying organic foods, you are cutting down on the chemicals you ingest. This will not only help your body by aiding in digestion and preventing disease, but it will help the Earth as well. The chemicals that are used to treat non-organic food sources often lead to the deterioration of soil, overtime, rendering that soil unharvestable. When you choose organic, none of those chemicals is going into the ground or your body, so both will remain healthy for a long time to come. If organic options are not available, choose items that have the fewest ingredients. Oftentimes, foods with a laundry list of ingredients are chockfull of harmful chemicals.

2.    Brown-Bag It!
Our hectic schedules often lead us to simply grab takeout for many of our meals.  This has played HUGE dividend on my personal health & have been doing this habit for most of my life.  However, by planning ahead and preparing your meals at home, you can reduce packaging and waste. Most takeout food items take packaging to the extreme, placing each item in an individual wrapper then bagging it for delivery. As we know, Styrofoam releases toxins into the air and plastic bags can take up to 500 years to break down. By preparing meals at home and carrying them in reusable containers, you are reducing your eco-footprint. Not to mention, you will save a pretty penny, too!

3.    Buy Local
From fuel consumption to packaging to chemical preservation, the stress put on the environment by shipping food across the country is immeasurable. Luckily, with farmers’ markets popping up all over the country and most supermarkets offering locally raised meat, dairy, produce and eggs, buying local is easier than ever. Not only does local food taste better because it is fresh and less chemically preserved, but you will be doing your part to help your local economy.

We don’t always recognize the toll our system of food production and delivery takes on our eco-system, from the poisonous chemicals used to preserve food to the tremendous amounts of gasoline used to power refrigerated trucks and planes. By making these simple choices, you are guaranteeing a better and brighter future for you and your loved ones.

Immediate habits to feel better...

I was asked not that long ago about what to do in every day life to add wellness practices.  Each one (and I have a lot more, but this is a start...) applies to one or more of the four parts of a person's health (physical, emotional, mental, & social). 

14 Healthy Habits to help practice daily wellness in your life

1. Never eat with a TV or Radio on...focus more on ur food
2.  Wake up and immediately smile :) & be thankful for your day
3. Know the cycles of the moon and make it a point to look at it
4. Sunset or sunrise, when was the last time you made time for both in 1 day?
5. Practice breathing....4-5-8, inhale-hold-exhale
6. Go for a 45 min. walk or 3 bouts of 15 min., swing those arms, stride it out!
7. Continue to keep smiling & take a deep breath while doing it now!
8. Avoid looking in the mirror
9. Stop wearing a watch
10. Simplify your life by embracing the small things, your ability to move (able body)
11.  Practice healthy sleeping habits, at least 8 hours...
12.  Get your hands dirty & own at least one indoor & one outdoor plant
13. Do an outdoor activity with a friend
14.  grateful for you being able to move your body and embrace new healthy habits

Fell free to add your likes to the list and share what works for you!!!!  These are basic ideas, but if followed in a routine pay huge dividends to how your feel and view the world.....

Carpe Diem!

That helps my HEART feel better...

What you NEED to know about your Heart... and getting a Target Heart Rate Zone                  11.7.11


Fat burning Zone, Training Zone, Aerobic Zone, well they are all the same and make up a person’s specific Target Heart Rate Zone. I should also mention it is the most effective way to train the body during aerobic physical activity.  Your heart matters and should be monitored to maximize your workout so you know when to kick in the intensity and when to pull back & allow your beats per minute to slow down (yeah, its ok to walk & be training effectively).

How can you calculate yours?  Its a couple simple math equations......

 Subtract your age from 220 to get your Maximum Heart Rate:
          Example             220 - 34 = 186 (beats per minute)

Take your Max HR and multiply by both 60% & 80%, this gives you your Target HR Zone for training.
                        Example            186 X .6 = 112
                                                  186 X .8 = 149

3. Target Heart Rate Training Zone Range is for a 34 year old   is 115-150 bpm


Its all about the numbers here, keep that in mind when training for anything (just maintaing a healthy life, running a 5K, or when trying to lose weight).  I train my clients to be smarter and move more effectively.  The first lesson is to use a heart rate monitor for training, especially for burning body fat because it provides immediate feedback for results driven training.

A simple HR Monitor (I recommend Polar Brand) can be purchased for under $35 & can be used in a pool too! 

So what do you want to change? Strong Mental Health needed...

Change isn’t easy.....               Our Daily Habits & Choices                     11.6.11


Humans are creatures of habit (Mental Health).  Both good & bad habits rule our day to day lives as we make choices about everything.  Thousands of decisions are made by the time we even step out of the house in the AM.  What does all this mean?  A person is in more control of their happiness then previously thought.   If a person is NOT doing something that they want (in any situation) , well CHANGE to a different decision for a different out come. 

Much is over looked in the pursuit of daily life, what most consider minor details or insignificant choices are truly important small parts that make up the greater whole during our experience.  People who don’t even give any thought to is the simple decisions we make every moment, like choosing to smile from ear to ear at any moment.  Yet they are the same people who are complaining about something and basically making choices for that same thing they are complaining about, so are they complaining about themselves?.......

The view I look through is simply this, my happiness is where I am?  Basically, I choose to be sitting here in front of this computer typing, so it was my choice to sit here.   How can I not be happy with the outcome if I decided to do this?  Well, I like to think that I make choices to be happy, so right now I am the happiest because I choose to be and if for some reason I am not, well a new choice needs to be made.

This practice is easier said then done, I have placed much intention behind living every day like it was my last & choosing happiness.  Ironically, I love being physically active & honing my 4 parts of health to thrive with a high quality of day to day life guide my choices.  What is their to do for the average joe who is out of practice for good personal decisions?  First, find out what you want to change, write it down, find support, and make it happen.  Remember everything can be changed from the way we walk to the way we think, the power is all in the daily choices we make.....

So what do you want to change?

Carpe diem.

Living everyday like it was ur last does not involve others happiness.....

How to start to lose weight? What is healthy....

The main reason I am writing this blog is to put out quality info on various topics that relate to a human's health, basically covering the four parts (Physical, mental, emotional, and social).  The focus today is to touch on the physical side, which is the part that most people easily associate with health. 
Furthermore, what are the first steps to take when trying to achieve an ideal body weight through balancing your body composition (fat to muscle ratio, 1 of the 5 parts of health-related fitness)? Try these 4......

 No matter where your starting point is with your life and condition these are the first steps to identify healthy habits to build a foundation for a healthy lifestyle. 

1.  How much sleep do you get each night out of seven days?  To maintain an ideal body weight an adult should accomplish at least 7 hours each night.....SLEEP is a vital variable to maintaining & achieving an ideal body weight.

2.  Start a food journal with writing down EVERYTHING you eat over 7 days  A specific focus on food consumption (diet is anything a person eats) with looking into how many calories each day, while identifying Protein, Carbs, Fats in grams for each category.   Not a bad idea to eliminate both Alcohol & Sugar from the diet.  Drink WATER, you cannot consume to much of this!!!!!
 
3. Physical activity is a MUST for everyone.  The idea is to balance your movements into something you enjoy participating in, basically the rule is 60 min. a day on most days of the week.  Look into measure your heart rate during exercise/physical activity, as this is the best tool for driven results.  Find your target heart rate & put your heart in it!!!!
Set a goal that is both reasonable and specific (results can be measured).  Actually write it down and check daily what have you done to accomplish it.

4. A base assessment of body fat should be conducted in the beginning, this measurement (NO SCALE do NOT MEASURE YOUR WEIGHT on a scale, bad reference point) should give a body fat % & that number will decrease over the course of becoming more physically active.  This is also the reference point for results for the future.

For body weight their is no quick fixes, truly the solution is a lifestyle that supports as much movement as possible.  Making daily choices that have positive outcomes will continue the habits necessary to live well. 

Social Health - Interactions with others gets hairy....

Our social health (25% of the complete total) use to have a simple definition, well the definition hasn’t hanged, but the diversity of mediums in which humans can communicate has.  How do you interact with others?  Are you shy, aggressive, friendly, cold shouldered?  Well, is that how you interact in person, you know old school style face to face?  Or is it a different way when you are in avatar mode and using a secret identity in a chat room via the world wide web?

The crazy thing is, 15 years ago most of these communication forms were non existent.  Who was back in the mid-90s saying I’ll text you when I get there or we’ll skype a workout together next week?  The term exponential comes to mind in the progress made in the numerous forms of communication and with that said comes great responsibility by the users. 

Now that we all seem to be more connected, I feel the further is from the truth, we are more disconnected from being ourselves. An example from an experience is  I look around at a youth soccer game, with excitement & magic taking place right in front of us on the field, but most of the adults are looking down.  We know what they are looking at, its in there hands silly!

A person’s social health can thrive by being in the moment, aware and absorbing your surroundings.  The sign of a good listener is body language and eye contact, not to mention actually responding to statements and adding in questions.  All to often I find myself in both public and private situation where those around me are interacting with others who are not there.  I personally don’t feel left out, but I do wonder if that person is demonstrating good social health......

How do you choose to move? Like nothing else on the planet...

A 600 lb bear (who is NOT considered overweight) can climb a tree, an ant can lift over 50X its body weight, and well most animals on planet earth have more maneuverability and endurance than human beings.  Humans are clumsy, move awkwardly, and basically are not very coordinated when compared to the thousands of other species on this planet.  Not to mention over 65% of Americans are overweight, so they move less than the best athletes.

So what are we to do if most if not all other species can move faster, demonstrate more agility, and flow through space in a more precise way?  Well I suggest this....

I focus clients movements on specific joints that humans poses and their are 13 major joints on the human kino-matic chain (starting at bottom up):  ankles, knees, hips, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and neck.  With utilizing the way a joint moves, that can help to isolate-muscle and/or recruit more muscles for a specific task (exercise).

With a focus on functional (real world) training verses traditional.  The difference is functional combines many (3 or more) joints in several phases of a movement. Where as traditional exercise like a bench press will find a person laying on their back with only 2 joints moving.   A functional exercise like a bear crawl (walking on all fours equally) applies all 13 joints to move at once in a diversity of patterns that applies a persons body weight as resistance.  This is an ideal movement for results because it is a whole body work out, which produces faster changes in body fat.

The results are the core of the body is strengthen through regular dynamic movements and that transcends into everything else (arms & legs) being more toned & trained.  Making bear noises is optional, but always adds a fun element when my neighbor looks out the window & I’m moving around my front lawn on all fours!