Category Archives: Uncategorized

EXERCISING IN THE HEAT

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Happy Monday!
 
I hope you can fit in some workouts sessions in your schedule this week!  
Let’s make this week a good one that gets us closer to our goals!
 
Looks like we are going to have some hot and humid days ahead.  Exerising in these conditions intensifies how hard the body has to work to maintain normal function. 
So here are some tips in staying safe if you are exercising outside…
 

  • Hydrate ahead of time…research suggests that drinking plenty of cool water prior to exercise will preemptively cool the body and may boost performance in hot weather!
Try this:
Drink plenty of fluid 2 hours before workout.  Drink 5-10 fl. oz every 15 min during exercise. Drink fluids with electrolytes, like ADVOCARE Rehydrate
during and after workout.  This is all we give our kids.  No gatorade for my family!
  • Wear light colored clothing
  • Let your body acclimate to the climate.  Gradually getting your body use to the heat can result in better sweat response, lower body temp, and lower heart rate!
  • If you have the choice, workout in the morning when temps are lower
  • Use 

    Frogg Toggs Chilly Pad Cooling Towel 

    to keep you cool!  

     

    They work really well.


     Stay safe and have a great workout!  If you exercise outside in the summer, let me know what you do and how you say cool!

Skateboard Pike Exercise Video

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My son got his first skateboard a few months ago and is having a blast on it. He is already trying to do tricks and give his mother a heart attack! 
 I do love watching him practice because of the core strength it takes to stay on the board. 
 

 

 So this got me thinking…could I use the skateboard as a piece of equipment for my girls that come train??? 
 The answer: ABSOLUTELY!!! 
 I started playing around with it and came up with the SKATEBOARD PIKE. What a great exercise! 
 Total CORE, CHEST, and SHOULDER workout! 
 So grab a skateboard
 – your son’s, husband’s, or neighbor’s – 
and try it out! 


  •  Don’t forget to warm-up and stretch 5 minutes before you begin your workout. 
  • WARNING: I do NOT recommend doing this if you have unstable shoulders. 

SUN vs SUNSCREEN

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We have plenty of warning about the damaging effects of the sun, but what we don’t hear as much is the damaging effects of sunscreens.  According to Dr Josh Ax, they are filled with damaging toxins that can cause cancer!  If you are like me, your head is spinning and you are thinking, “Well, I guess EVERYTHING causes cancer, so why even try.”   It feels hopeless and confusing.  I think it’s a topic for which we need to be informed and have discernment about.  We all have to make the best educated decision for ourselves and our family.
We all know that getting burned by the sun
increases our risk of skin cancer.
BUT… The sun is also really great and necessary.
It is the natural and best way to which we get vitamin D.  And sunscreen can reduce vitamin D production by as much as 97.5 to 99.9%.
This important hormone is known to:
  • Support your cardiovascular health
  • Promote optimal cholesterol levels
  • Enhance your muscle strength
  • Help produce optimal blood pressure levels
  • Help maintain a healthy immune system
  • Support healthy kidney function
  • Promote healthy teeth
  • Help keep your bones strong and healthy
THIS DAY THE SUN WAS NOT THE BAD GUY!
My family spent a week enjoying non-stop fun at the Port Royal Ocean Resort in Texas.
Our time was spent at the pool, then on the beach, and back to the pool again!  
Being that we were in the sun all day, I used more sunscreen that normal to keep my family from burning.  I did not have the natural sunscreen I was use to using, so I lathered on whatever I had access to.
I used Ocean Potion Suncare Instant Dry Mist
Fruity Fragrance Spray
 SPF 50
on my daughter, Taylor, and this is what happened:
 First day out in the sun with the sunscreen.  A few hours in the sun and it looked like her face was starting to burn.  So I reapplied the sunscreen… 3 more times that day.
 
We spent the next day at the pool and beach… applying the same sunscreen.  By the end of this day, Taylor started feeling sick.  “I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out.” I thought she was dehydrated and had been in the sun too long.

 

That night was when I realized something was terribly wrong.  At this point her face started to swell.
This just makes me sick.
I took her to the doctor to find out that she had experienced a reaction to the sunscreen…probably to the fragrance that was in it.  It caused her face to burn.  
 I was so scared her face wouldn’t be the same.

After a few days of a liquid steroid, the swelling went down and her face started to peel.
We thank God that she healed completely and is back to her natural, beautiful self!

Thank you Taylor for giving me permission to post these pictures.  She wants to spread awareness and hopefully prevent this from happening to anyone else.

Click here for my DIY AFTER-SUN LOTION. 

Below are the sunscreens I trust for my family now.

 
   

Anti-Aging: 5 Apples

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APPLES * APPLES * APPLES

Apples are so awesome and will help slow down the 

AGING PROCESS!

Here’s why:

Studies have shown that eating APPLES assist in

  • bone strength

  • asthma prevention

  • Alzheimer’s Prevention

    Cornell University found, in a study on mice, that the quercetin in apples may protect brain cells from the kind of free radical damage that may lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

  • lowers cholesterol

  • helps prevent lung, breast, colon, and liver cancer!

  • diabetes management

  • great for the skin

  • weight loss

Eat your apples and eat the skin!  A lot of the nutrients is found

IN THE SKIN!

How do you eat APPLES?

  • throw them in your smoothies

  • juice them

  • make apple sauce

  • apple butter

  • apple preserves

  • eat them plain

  • eat them with peanut/almond butter

If you have a creative way of adding apples to your meals or snacks, please share what you do and send me a picture –

I would love to post it!

Anti-Aging: 4 Nuts

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…NUTS…

Long term studies have consistently shown that people who eat nuts several times a week have a 30-50% lower risk of heart disease!

Eat your nuts People!

The type of nut you eat doesn’t make a huge difference,

but some have more heart-healthy goodness than others.

Walnuts. Almonds. Hazelnuts Nuts. Brazil. Pine Nuts. Pecan. Pistachio. Cashew.

 GOOD GOOD GOOD!

Eating Nuts Regularly

  • lower the LDL :: low-density lipoprotein/ bad cholesterol in their blood.  Remember, high LDL is one of the primary causes of heart disease.

  • reduces risk of developing blood clots :: can cause heart attacks.

  • improves the lining of the arteries

    The Good Stuff In NUTS
(The amounts vary from nut to nut,
but nearly every nut has some level of each of these nutrients.)

  • Omega-3 fatty acids

  • Fiber :: plays a role in preventing diabetes

  • Vitamin E ::  stops the development of plaques in the arteries – plaque narrows the space blood can flow – plaque can lead to chest pain, coronary artery disease or heart attack

  • Plant sterols ::  some nuts have this and it lowers your cholesterol.  Often times this is added to orange juice and other products, but it occurs naturally in nuts.

  • L-arginine :: shown to make the walls of the artery more flexible and less prone to blood clots.

  • Unsaturated fats :: YOU NEED THESE good fats – monounsaturated & polyunsaturated – lowers bad cholesterol

    Slow down the aging process by controlling inflammation and

    eliminating  free radicals from your body through your diet!

    Let us know how you like to eat your nuts.

    What’s your favorite nut?

    Share your recipes!!!


Anti-Aging: 3 Blueberries

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Blueberries 

Hold Beautiful Anti-Aging Properties!

All berries are good, but I mention blueberries specifically because they are referred to as a MEMORY FOOD.


 Blueberries are a rich source of antioxidants that help repair the damage caused by free radicals.


                   They also fight against

  • high blood pressure

  • cardiovascular disease

  • diabetes

  • cancer

  • muscular degeneration

  • Alzheimer’s

  • Parkinson’s

Blueberries have been shown to protect the brain from

This SUPER FOOD is high in Vitamin C and E, and may reverse decline in cognitive and motor function!

Slow down the aging process by controlling inflammation and

eliminating  free radicals from your body through your diet!

Recipes!

  Make is a Spread

 Blueberry Sauce Allrecipes.com

                   Ingredients

  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

    1/4 cup water

  • 1 cup orange juice

  • 3/4 cup white sugar

  • 1/4 cup cold water

  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

           Directions

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, orange juice, and sugar. Stir gently, and bring to a boil.

  2. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water. Gently stir the cornstarch mixture into the blueberries so as not to mash the berries. Simmer gently until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the almond extract and cinnamon. Thin sauce with water if it is too thick for your liking.

     Make A Refreshing Summer Treat

    Blueberry Granita allrecipes.com

                  Ingredients

    2 1/2 cups blueberries

    1/2 cup white sugar

    3/4 cup water

    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

               Directions

    1. Blend the blueberries and sugar in a food processor until smooth; strain through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing with a wooden spoon to separate the blueberry puree from any chunks of skin or seeds.

    2. Stir the strained blueberry puree, water, and lemon juice together in a shallow glass baking dish or tray. Place the dish in the freezer; scrape and stir the blueberry mixture with a fork once an hour until evenly frozen and icy, about 4 hours. Scrape to fluff and lighten the ice crystals; spoon into chilled glasses to serve.

     Add them to Salsa!

    Maine Wild Blueberry Salsa allrecipes.com

                          Ingredients

    • 2 medium heirloom tomatoes

    • 1 cup fresh or frozen wild blueberries

    • 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion

    • 2 cloves garlic, minced

    • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil

    • 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

    • 1/2 Hungarian hot pepper, finely chopped

    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

    • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

    • salt and pepper to taste

              Directions

    1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Score the skin of the tomatoes by slicing an X into the skin on the bottom. Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water for about 15 seconds. Remove and place into a bowl of cold water. The skins should slip off easily. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half and remove the seeds. Chop the tomatoes and discard the seeds.

    2. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, blueberries, onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper, Hungarian pepper, cilantro and parsley. Pour in the rice vinegar and olive oil and stir gently to mix. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to blend. You may wish to drain the salsa slightly before serving, depending on how juicy your tomatoes are.

  Blend up a smoothie

Red, White, and Blue Fruit Smoothie allrecipes.com

                          Ingredients

  • 1/2 large banana, cut into pieces and frozen
  • 2 large fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
  • 2 ice cubes                                  
                          Directions

  1. Place the banana pieces, strawberries, blueberries, milk, vanilla extract, yogurt, and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until smooth.

And of course, add them to 

cereal, pancakes, smoothies, and yogurt!

Let us know how you like to eat BLUEBERRIES!

Anti-Aging: 2 Green Leafy Vegetables

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GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES

  • full of antioxidants from plant compounds from polyphenols, flavonoids, lutein, zeaxanthin, and carotenoids to fight against free radicals
  • Vitamin K, C, E, and many B vitamins
  • rich source of minerals –  iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium
  •  rich in fiber and low in fat and carbohydrates

Kale – Collards – Turnip Greens – Swiss  Char– Spinach – Mustard Greens –  Broccoli – Romaine Lettuce – Cabbage – Ice Burg Lettuce – Parsley

Slow down the aging process by controlling inflammation and eliminating  free radicals from your body through your diet!
Definitions
Antioxidant:   protects the body from damaging molecules called free radicals.


How to Eat Leafy Veggies :: 

be CREATIVE!

 Make a Smoothie

Green Smoothie allrecipes.com

  • 1 banana, thickly sliced, frozen
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed meal (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil (optional)
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup orange juice
 Directions
  1. Place the banana, kale, flax seed meal, and coconut oil into a blender, pour in the milk and orange juice. Cover, and puree until smooth; serve.


Make a Soup

 Vegetarian Kale Soup allrecipes.com

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 8 cups water
  • 6 cubes vegetable bouillon (such as Knorr)
  • 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • 6 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans (drained if desired)
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot; cook the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in the kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the water, vegetable bouillon, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, Italian seasoning, and parsley. Simmer soup on medium heat for 25 minutes, or until potatoes are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Turn them into chips!

Just tear up kale or collard greens, tossing them in salt, oil and lemon juice and cook300 degrees for 25 minutes


Add them to Sandwiches

And of course a Salad

If you have great ideas on how to eat Leafy Greens, please share!

A Little Anatomy

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I am currently studying for my PhysicalMind Institute Tye4® Pilates Certification… the reason for no resent posts lately!  Well, I have been reminded – through my studying – how perfectly complex the human body is.  I am fascinated by this intricate system i.e. the reason I work in fitness!  I love that we have so much knowledge about the body, yet it is totally vulnerable and mysterious.  All the parts are arranged  in such a way as to work together for perfect function.  When one part does not work properly,  other areas WILL be effected.  Every part depends on another.

 

Simply put:
  • Bones support our body against gravity. We are a lot prettier this way 🙂  Hehehe
  • Muscles move the bones
  • Tendons connect the muscle to the bone
  • Ligaments connect bone to bone and helps stabilize our joints

Now let’s talk ARMS for a minute.
We are able to raise them above our head, easy (considering a healthy shoulder joint).  No big deal- not much thought, right?  Welllll, let’s take an inward look to see HOW we are able to perform that “simple movement”:
Think about the shoulder blade, or scapula, for now.  It stabilizes our shoulder both at rest and in motion.  As the arm raises upward, the scapula is responsible for range of motion and support for the arm.  It holds the arm to the body so the arm does not dangle!!!
 
 
 
 

The scapula is an ANCHOR!



 
 
 
As you raise your arm out to the side,
the first 30 degrees is accomplished by the arm alone- moved by the deltoid muscle.
The remaining movement is possible because of the scapula bone.
The muscle that moves this bone is the trapezius in the back.
DO THIS:
Raise your arms out to the side and all the way up to your ears.
Now lower them.
Think about the back work that is involved.
Now do the same thing but bring the arms in front of you.
Can you feel your scapula move?
 — — — STORY TIME — — —  
                             theSETTING 
College days at Houston Baptist University
                                  thePLOT
Starting back to practice after volleyball season 
had ended.

So, we were back in the gym after a good Christmas break,
gearing up for training during the off season. We were lifting weight to find our max.  This means that we had to lift as much weight as possible, in one lift, for different muscle groups, to find the maximum amount of weight we could lift.
 This would allow us to find 60% of our max weight to perform  3 sets, doing 10 repetitions or we could lift 40% of our max weight for 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
 
Ok, so back to the gym.  I was doing the Military Press exercise with a straight bar to find my max.

Military Press Exercise

WEll, it didn’t take long to learn that the weight I was lifting was OVER my max when my shoulder dislocated while holding the weight above my head!!! OOOUUUCCCHHHH! That was too much demand for my trapezius, levator scapulae, and serratus anterior.  When they gave way, my shoulder joint lost its support.  The  rotators in my shoulder clearly couldn’t handle that load and resulted in dislocation.  Good news for me: I didn’t tear anything, but I did stretch and strain the tendons and ligaments of my rotator cuff muscles in my shoulder.  They were stretched good!  For a number of days, I had to support my injured arm with my other hand while I sneezed, coughed, or hick-upped.  If I didn’t add that extra support, my shoulder would slide out of joint, and then slide back in.  Yes, that was weird!  I rehabbed my shoulder with focus – determined to fix it and get back in the gym.  After a few weeks and a much stronger shoulder, I dislocated it again 🙁
The doctor said that if it happened again, I would require surgery.  Well, let’s not tell the doctor, BUT I dislocated it 5 more times.  BOOOO  I didn’t want the surgery and decided to live with my limitations.
Fast forward 6 years…
At this time I had earned my degree in Kineseology and was working as a Fitness Specialist and Group Fitness Instructor at the Memorial Hermann Wellness Center in Houston, Tx.
My boss and mentor Joetta Dickerson (owner of The Pilates Studio Houston and Pilates Instructor to the Houston Rockets Basketball team) started teaching me the art of Pilates.  I began studying and practicing TheMethod Pilates. Unknowingly, I rehabbed my shoulder to full range of motion and strength while using the Reformer!  Needless to say this kinda hooked me onto Pilates!
 

Now in 2013:  PhysicalMind Institute has created the most inventive Pilates system – TYE4® that functions as a reformer!  Reformer classes are expensive and hard to find.  Great news:  now everyone can take advantage of the benefits that come from balanced, flexibility, joint mobility, core strength, long lean muscle and coordination from the large Pilates apparatus.   

 
Be thankful today for your scapula 🙂
Pay attention to your movement and enjoy the fact that you have such a cool, complex “earth suit” to wear!

SAND WORKOUTS

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Now that winter is coming to an end this year  🙂 – we need to ditch those winter blues and get outside!  Being creative with your workouts and changing up your location is rewarding both mentally and physically.
Let’s talk about SAND.  
The benefits from working out in the sand are HUGE!!!  
        During a sand workout, your…
 
 
The unstable surface…
  • burns more calories
  • makes exercises more challenging
  • creates less impact on joints
  • works the stabilizer muscles

 

If you aren’t convinced yet, let me put it this way:
Sand training will improve cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength, balance, ability, reaction time and coordination!

 

So go find a beach, a lake (with a sandy beach), or a sand volleyball court and get moving!!!
Yup- I get my kids moving with me. 

Taylor’s face!!!  She must be loving the burn!
Exercises to do in the sand:
  • squats
  • lunges
  • plyometric jumps
  • walking
  • jogging
  • pushups
These are just a few ideas!

Caution:  
Because of the unstable surface, the ankles, achilles, and knees are susceptible to injury-
so a good warm-up and stretch is essential!