Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Tips from a Client

This is from a wonderful client, she sent it to me today wanting my thoughts. Well, I love everything about these tips and decided to share-enjoy!

• Pick up produce. Have at least one fruit and veggie at every meal. On busy days when I know my lunch won't have a smidge of green in it, I have two fruits at breakfast; I toss berries or peaches into my nonfat Greek yogurt and sprinkle it with granola. I love asparagus, green pepper, sun-dried tomatoes, sprouts, endive and more. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which staves off hunger. Shoot for nine servings daily. It sounds like a lot, but if you don't have to be a rabbit to reach that goal. Eat a salad at lunch or dinner, and you're there.

• Snack smart. Add protein (such as a stick of lowfat string cheese or Parmesan) to your between-meal bites. Research suggests protein may enhance the effect of leptin, a hormone that reins in appetite. I love hummus and dip veggies into it instead of pita bread or crackers. Protein is also filling and can help curb cravings for chips, cookies and the like.

• Sip more water. Dieters who swapped sugary drinks for water lose weight, but those who gulped the most H20 peeled off the most pounds, according to a study at the meeting of Obesity Society in Boston. Don’t love agua? Try the flavored kind but check the label for sugar content (it should be below 8 grams per serving).

• Map out your meals. A little attention to portions can help you eat less and still stay satisfied. Start by using a salad dish (8 inches in diameter) and divide it into quarters to help keep helpings healthy. Half the plate should get veggies, top another quarter with lean protein (3 to 6 ounces of fish, chicken or tofu) and the last quarter with whole grains (1/2 to 1 cup of brown rice, sweet potatoes or whole wheat pasta).

• Eat every meal. When you wait longer than five hours between bites, your body may release extra cortisol, a hormone that can increase appetite. I call it "hangry." I get hungry and angry: My stomach starts to burn and my brain gets annoyed at every little thing. Then I eat whatever is in front of me, usually a cookie or other sweet, empty-calorie treat. I realize I'm putting out the "hangry" fires, but it is better not to get there in the first place!

Check this out as well.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Client of the Month: Jodi

The August "Client of the Month," is Jodi. Jodi is just wonderful. I began working with Jodi about a year an a half ago. It's been so much fun getting to know her and watching her journey of health and fitness develop. Here's some reasons Jodi is so deserving of this award:

1. She has SIX kids and still makes time for exercise!
2. Never has she used her kids as an excuse for not exercising-I LOVE that about her! As she could very well give me that reason.
3. She's lost 39 pounds-halfway to her goal!
4. Jodi's a very kind person as she always has such a positive attitude.
5. She loves it when I bring new exercises her way-she truly loves working out and finding new muscles.
6. I think it's so wonderful that she wants to be healthy for her kids as she's already told me many instances where she has participated in activities that she used to forgo. She lives a very active lifestyle with her family.
7. She really makes a conscious effort to exercise and eat right on her own-the key to her weight loss success.
8. She sets goals. Jodi's always making goals for herself and really goes for them.
9. She's flexible. She sets goals and makes plans to obtain them but sometimes life intervenes and changes need to be made. I love that she's always looking for ways to make them work for her.
10. Jodi is a great display of what a woman can be these days; a healthy mom, wife and friend to many. Keep up the great work Jodi!

Sunday, August 24, 2008

August Race: Race for the Cure

This month I participated (along with 22,000 other people) in the race for the cure. What an amazing event! I could not believe how many people walked or ran in this event. It was such a rush to be around that many people. Only 4 more races left....2008 is just flying by!

Monday, August 18, 2008

Today's Random Thoughts

I think I've mentioned before I get most of my random thoughts when exercising or more specifically running. I really enjoy this time because it gives me a chance to clear my head and sort out thoughts and ideas. Here's the latest of my thoughts during this afternoon's run:

1. Boy it feels great to run-I truly love exercise and the feeling it gives me when I'm all done.

2. Work for it-get crazy passionate about your goals. I so want to get this point across (as if I haven't already), that if you want something (like weight loss) you have to really immerse yourself in it. It's something you've got to dive into, strive through and finish strong. It's not easy but what good challenge is? If it's not hard the success of finishing isn't nearly as sweet.

3. Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Why do we sometimes get into crazy cycles like these? We want to lose weight but hang onto the things that keep us from ultimately losing, why? Are we afraid of what might happen if we change course? As change is a huge stressor for many.

4. Insanity then leads me to my biggest frustration-the almighty, ever insistence excuse. We all have them. AHHHH! I even have them and I get so mad at myself when I have them. I can't do this because of this. I hate that! If I really want to do something I'll make it happen. Make it happen-just make it happen....no excuses. That should be my new mantra...has a good ring to it!

5. I feel good about this one. As these points are in no particular order, I've felt a need to share my weekly exercise routine as I've really been enjoying myself with this balanced yet realistic-to-my-world routine. Yikes, self disclosure! So...here goes!

a. Get it done: Monday and/or Tuesday
1. Short run but high intensity
2. Strength Training
3. Yoga Class
b. Get it done: Wednesday and/or Thursday
1. Strength Training
c. Get it done: Saturday
1. Long run medium intensity
d. Get it done: Sunday
1. Short run

So in all my plan is for:
*2 strength training sessions
*2 short runs = 3-4 miles a piece
*1 long run = 10+ miles
*1 yoga class

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Organic?

I try to buy organic whenever possible, however, since prices of practically everything are going up these days its nice to feel okay when not buying organic.

Here's 12 food items that had the lowest pesticide load when conventionally grown.

Broccoli
Eggplant
Cabbage
Banana
Kiwi
Asparagus
Sweet peas (frozen)
Mango
Pineapple
Sweet corn (frozen)
Avocado
Onion

Source: DrWeil.com July 30, 2008
FoodNews.org Printable Shopper’s Guide

Friday, August 15, 2008

16 Reasons to Quit


I just can't seem to understand why so many people drink pop. In trying to better understand my clients, friends and family members with this habit, I came across some interesting information. The article states 8 reasons why we drink pop but I decided to leave that out as all the reasons were very lame. There is a link at the bottom of the page if you wish to read it in it's entirety. Note: After reading the article, I decided I'm more confused as to why anyone could rationalize putting this "crap" in their body.

16 Reasons to Kick the Habit
1. Soda Is Useless.

There are no nutritionally beneficial components in soft drinks. Yet the average American drinks about 57 gallons of soft drinks each year.

2. Weight Gain & Obesity

Many people either forget or don't realize how many extra calories they consume in what they drink. Drinking a single 330 ml can a day of sugary drinks translates to more than 1lb of weight gain every month. Several scientific studies have provided experimental evidence that soft drinks are directly related to weight gain.

3. Diabetes

This is a consequence of #2. Anything that promotes weight gain increases the risk of diabetes. Drinking soda not only contributes to making people fat, but it also stresses the body's ability to process sugar5. Some scientists now suspect that the sweet stuff may help explain why the number of Americans with type 2 diabetes has tripled from 6.6 million in 1980 to 20.8 million today.

4. Weakened Bones And Risk Of Osteoporosis

Frequent consumption of soft drinks may also increase the risk of osteoporosis.. High soda consumption (particularly cola) in children poses a significant risk factor for impaired calcification of growing bones. In the 1950s, children drank 3 cups of milk for every 1 cup of sugary drinks. Today that ratio is reversed: 3 cups of sugary drinks for every cup of milk. Tellingly, osteoporosis is a major health threat for 44 million Americans.

5. Dental Caries And Erosion

Soda eats up and dissolves the tooth ename. Researches say that soft drinks are responsible for doubling or tripling the incidence of tooth decay.


6. Kidney Damage

People who down sugary drinks don't feel as full as those who consume the same amount of calories in solid food.
This theory was born out by researchers at Purdue University who, in 2000, gave 15 volunteers 450 calories a day of either soda or jelly beans for a month and then switched them for the next month, while monitoring their total calories. The candy eaters compensated for the extra calories by eating less food and maintained their weight; during the soda phase, the volunteers ate more and gained (MSN Health)
There is good evidence that cola beverages can increase the risk of kidney problems, more so than non-cola sodas. Researches clearly demonstrated that large quantities of cola result in enhanced kidney stone formation. If you're wondering exactly how soft drinks cause kidney stones, it's because of their acidity and radical mineral imbalances. Your body must buffer the acidity of soft drinks with calcium from your own bones. As this calcium is eliminated through your urine, it slowly forms kidney stones.


7. Increased Blood Pressure

Experts have reasons to believe that overconsumption of fructose, particularly in the form of soft drinks, leads to an increase in blood pressure.

8. Likely To Cause Heartburn


9. Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factor

Soft drink consumption is a significant risk factor for developing of metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of the symptoms such as high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance.

10. Harmful Effects On Liver

There is evidence that consumption of too many soft drinks puts you under increased risk for liver cirrhosis similar to what chronic alcoholics have.

11. Impaired Digestive System

Soda, no matter who makes it, is the most acidic beverage you can buy, with a pH of about 2.51, about the same as vinegar, but the sugar content disguises the acidity. To put that into perspective, consider that battery acid has a pH of 1 and pure water has a pH level of 7.

Interesting fact: A pH below 4 or above 10 will kill most fish and very few animals can tolerate waters with a pH below 3 or above 11.
Why does that matter? Throughout the digestive system, that starts from the mouth and ends up at the anus only the stomach can resist an acidic environment up to pH 2.0. But before the acidity of soft drink reaches the stomach it passes through all the other organs involved in the digestive system thus causing an abnormal acidic environment. The linings of the mouth, pharynx and esophagus are highly sensitive to acids.

12. Dehydration

Another problem with sodas is that they act as dehydrating diuretics. Both caffeine and sugar cause dehydration. Caffeine is a diuretic and causes an increase in urine volume. High concentration of sugar is drawing off water because your kidneys try to expel the excess sugar out of the blood. When you drink a caffeinated soda to quench your thirst, you will actually become thirstier.

13. High Caffeine Content

High doses of caffeine can cause irritability, restlessness, tension, insomnia, high blood pressure, gastrointestinal disturbance, excessive urination, irregular heartbeat and other side effects.

14. Toxins - Aspartame

If you think diet soda is better think again. The poison in diet soda is an artificial sweetener aspartame. Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It is used because it's about 200 times sweeter than table sugar.

Despite US FDA approval as a "safe" food additive, aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances added to foods. After you drink an aspartame-sweetened product, aspartame breaks down into its starting components: phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (that further converts to formaldehyde and formic acid, which are known carcinogens.). There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption.

15. Possible Cell Damage Ability

A new health scare erupted over soft drinks recently amid evidence that they may cause serious cell damage. Research from a British university suggests a common preservative E211, known as sodium benzoate, found in drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi Max has the ability to switch off vital parts of DNA.


16. There Are So Many Healthy Alternatives!

Soda replaces healthier drinks. By drinking soda, you cut the intake of fresh juices, milk, and even water and deprive yourself from essential vitamins and minerals.


Source: http://www.emedexpert.com/tips/soft-drinks.shtml

Thursday, August 14, 2008

The Good and The BAD

Earlier this week I did some research for some long-time clients that want to get serious about what they put into their bodies. I wanted to share my findings as I think we could all benefit from the information. There's a lot here so I have bolded what I feel is most important.

Anything with Trans Fat is HORRIBLE for you. Unfortunately, most all foods that have trans fats are fried foods-like french fries!!

This would be my "stay away from" or eat "sparingly" food suggestions list.
http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/ohe/library/fitness/10foods.htm

Moreover, here's a list of both good and bad foods to eat. Naturally, the fresher foods you eat-the better they are for you.

http://www.cspinet.org/nah/10foods_bad.html



Tips:
Avoid foods that have high fructose corn syrup as an ingredient listed first or second or third. Also avoid "zero calorie" sweeteners such as aspartame. These have been shown to actually increase hunger and thus increase weight gain versus what the ads state as "healthy."

So in general, I'm always looking at labels. I put the product back if I see:
1. Aspartame-a new study just came out where it increases the likelihood of tumors-both cancerous and benign.
2. High Fructose Corn Syrup
3. Trans Fats or Hydrogenated-here's the definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat



If I want to get REAL picky I would also suggest ridding your diet of gluten. Gluten is in most products such as bread and soups-basically anything that's been a gravy like texture. Basically, I just don't feel like it's very healthy and have heard amazing things when people take it out of their diet. Here's more on gluten:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Cleaning Your House

Yesterday I had this random thought that exercise and eating right is just like cleaning your house. You always have to clean your house, it's not like you can clean it really good one time and then never do it again. Exercise is the same. We all may have our goals of getting down to a certain weight or dress size but once we're there exercise and eating right can't stop.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

what FEAR really means


FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL

I may be brilliant but I can't take credit for coming up with this acronym. I stole it from a friend who stole it from a psychologist. I like it though, because it's so incredibly true. How many times do our brains trick us into thinking something is reality when it's absolutely not? Here's some instances I've brainstormed:

1. Eating Healthy. The 1000 calorie salad from Applebee's that appears very healthy.
2. Exercising. Walking 30 minutes=burning a mere 100 calories and justifies eating an extra serving of dinner which=an additional 300 calories; a 200 calorie gain.
3. Our brains saying, "I'm not strong enough to continue persevering through the hard times to reach my goal."-WRONG
4. Our brains saying, "It's too difficult to lead a healthy life. Working out and eating well is just not for me."-WRONG!
5. Diet soda. It really isn't that bad. I can still lose weight and hold onto bad habits. After all, I need those bad habits because they are what I know.-WRONG!

Lastly.....


You must do the things you think you cannot do.
(I love this!)
-Eleanor Roosevelt


Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.
-Dorothy Thompson

Monday, August 11, 2008

Plug


Of course, every now and again I will promote one of my programs...and this is a good one!

This Fall I'm excited to announce the debut of "Group Personal Training for Women"

This small group training especially for women offers everything a one-on-one trainer gives but in a small group setting with support, encouragement and laughter. Workouts are actually FUN but offer a challenge. The class is jam-packed with everything you need to be successful in obtaining your weight-loss/health goals. We'll start every session off by getting your baseline measurements, body fat along with some fitness testing to see where we need to go. From there you'll be equipped with motivation and accountability each time we meet. You'll even receive my suggestions for "out-of-class" exercises to maximize your results putting you on a fast track to weight loss. Most of my clients see 1-2 pounds per week of weight loss if they do everything I suggest-as it's all about the follow through! This class is also perfect for "leaning up" as a majority of the class is designed as a females weight training program.

Classes begin September 2nd and meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays at either 9:30am or 5:40pm. I would suggest signing up early as I anticipate these classes to fill up quickly!

You'll have to go to the Liberty Community Center in order to sign up but to view the class, click here.

Feel free to email me with any questions.
froehlich.mandy@gmail.com

Stayed Tuned: find out what FEAR really means later this week

Have a Happy Monday!!!!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Preserve your Body



One of the reasons I love Dr. Oz is because he works to help educate and motivate us to "preserve our bodies." Think about it, most doctors help us after our bodies have failed. We go to them to help us when we're sick or in pain. Then get a pill or some easy fix to stop the symptoms. Hmmmm...What's wrong with this picture? Of course I understand that we're all going to have ailments that we have no control over, that's different, I'm not talking about those situations.

It's called preventative health. When I was working through my graduate studies, I spent a year observing, researching and surveying women on why they exercise. What are their intrinsic motivations to exercise? I looked at women of different age groups; under forty and over forty. I found that women in both categories (with great thanks to the media) exercise first and foremost to look better. The interesting piece of my research was that a major reason women over forty also exercised is to better their health. Women under forty weren't nearly as concerned with this aspect but rather, exercise offered health as an "added benefit."

Here's some things you can do to better preserve your body:

1. Enjoy the Sun to get Vitamin D (around 15 minutes a couple times per week)
2. Avoid Trans Fats
3. Eat Whole Grains
4. Nourish your body with fresh foods
5. Move your body by doing something you enjoy

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Stress and Aging

According to Dr. Oz, the number one aging factor is stress. Ironically, the number one stressor most all of us face is money. It's also the number one cause for divorce. Money is something we all need to survive, a source of fun and pleasure, but on the other side, the love of money is also known as the root of all evil. How can we avoid the stress that money inevitably brings and ultimately reduce the stress in our lives to slow the process of aging? This is no suprise to my regular readers but I think Dave Ramsey has it right. His program is designed to help anyone get out of debt and build wealth.

The Baby Steps

1. $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
2. Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
3. 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
4. Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
5. College funding for children
6. Pay off home early
7. Build wealth and give!
Invest in mutual funds and real estate

Lastly, here's a great 3 minute video I would encourage everyone to watch. It's all about checking your math and disproving a very popular myth.

Check your Math Video

This is something I'm very passionate about: living stress free and planning for the future both physically and financially. I think in the long-run if you do these things you'll live longer and happier. It's all about shifting from filling short-term pleasures to obtaining long-term peace.

Friday, August 1, 2008

Graston

This summer I've been training for the Nike Women's Marathon. I'm trying to train to run my first ever marathon. It's been a lot of fun but also a lot of headaches. My body hasn't been cooperative with all the miles I've wanted to put on it. I've been struggling through an IT band contracture since the end of March. The IT band contracture causes pain in my knee only when I run-yuck! Just over a month ago, a very special client of mine, Johnna, told me about Dr. Kucera.

In just 2 treatments my knee was much better. The reason I can keep going is due to the Graston Technique she uses. I also love going to her because she's had the same issue when she was training for a marathon. I love that she's so healthy and into exercise. I feel that's something very rare-a doctor that lives what she tells her patients. I really value that. Lastly, (as I could go on and on) I really like Dr. Kucera because she really listens to what I have to say and she asks tons of questions to get to the root issue in order to solve your problem. I feel like she truly wants me to get better!

I want to share what exactly the Graston Technique is because it can help many ailments, including but not limited to: Adhesive Capsulitis, Ankle Sprains, Back Pain, Canal and Foraminal Stenosis, Carpal Tunnel Syndrom,e Fibromyalgia, Hamstring Sprain/Strain, Headaches, Hip Pain, Iliotibial (IT) Band Syndrome, Knee Pain, Neck Pain, Patellar Tracking Disorders, Plantar Fasciitis, Postural Imbalances, Rotator Cuff Sprain/Strain, Spondylolisthesis, Tennis Elbow, and Wrist Pain.


Graston Technique is a method used to detect and treat the changes in fibers of our muscles, fascia (covering of muscles) and other soft tissue such as tendons. Changes in fibers typically occur from either a trauma, repeated misuse of our joints and muscles, simple everyday activities, or even by our poor posture day after day. Fibrotic changes are much like tiny scars that begin to inhibit function of our joints and muscles and ultimately cause pain. By using specific stainless steel tools, this technique stands out from other manual methods like massage, active release or trigger point therapy. The tools make it possible to detect the changes on a more subtle level. These are often things that practitioners can't feel or treat with their thumbs or fingertips. Since it is easier to find, it is easier to treat. In treatment, the tools are moved lightly across the surface of the skin in an effort to breakdown the tissue and bring blood and nutrients back into the area again (a process that I imagine makes our muscles say "ahhhh.....").

As you can imagine, a technique that allows fascial changes to be detected works exceptional in areas where we have large bands or layers of fascia like the iliotibial band or ITB, the plantar fascia, and the lower back. With a knack for breaking down scar tissue, Graston also works great for the muscles and joints that have a reputation for getting used and abused like our rotator cuff, knees and wrists. Other common conditions it has had more than favorable results with are carpal tunnel syndrome, frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis, tendinitis, chondromalacia patella and ankle sprains (old or new). This technique is also worth exploring if you are still looking for something conservative, but feeling like surgery is the only answer.

To find out more, visit www.experiencesage.com

Water!


The other day I got a new water bottle. It's the new Camelbak BPA free 24 ounce water bottle complete with or without a straw!

Dick's Sporting Goods sells them.