Interval Training

Interval training or HIIT, as it is commonly referred to (high intensity interval training), is all the rage right now! It is a great way to get in a tough, full body workout in less time. Intervals really boost your metabolism and kick fat-burning into high gear, much moreso than steady-state cardio routines. Interval training involves alternating periods of high intensity exercise with low intensity recovery periods. One 20-minute Interval training session is shown to be equivalent to one 60-minute steady-state cardio session. The key to interval training though, to see the full result potential, is to really push yourself to the max (well 90% of your max). You can't just increase the intensity a little, then recover for a bit, you really need to dedicate your full potential to those 20 minutes and push yourself!

Another benefit of Interval Training is that you will still get the same 'after-burn' effect you get with weight and strength training. Your body will continue to burn calories for hours after a session, as opposed to steady state cardio where once you hop off your piece of exercise equipment, your energy expenditure halts.

Here are some examples of Interval Workouts:

Treadmill (Running)	Treadmill (Walking(	Bike	Elliptical
5-10 minute warm-up Light jog	5-10 minute warm-up Brisk walk, 0% Incline	5 minute warm-up Low intensity	5 minute warm-up Low intensity
30 seconds-1 minute All out sprint, 75% max heart rate	Incline to 10-12%, 30 sec-1 min interval, fast paced walk (3.0 mph and above), 75% max heart rate	30 seconds-1 minute Increase intensity to 75% of max heart rate	30 seconds-1 minute Increase intensity to 75% of max heart rate
1 minute brisk walk recovery (55% max heart rate)	1 minute brisk walk recovery (55% max heart rate)	1 minute recovery Low intensity (55% max heart rate)	1 minute recovery Low intensity (55% max heart rate)
Repeat 10-20 times (10 if 30 sec. intervals 20 if 1 min. intervals)	Repeat 10-20 times (10 if 30 sec. intervals 20 if 1 min. intervals)	Repeat 10-20 times (10 if 30 sec. intervals 20 if 1 min. intervals)	Repeat 10-20 times (10 if 30 sec. intervals 20 if 1 min. intervals)
5 minute cool-down Light jog	5 minute cool-down Brisk Walk, 0% Incline	5 minute cool-down Low intensity	5 minute cool-down Low intensity

 

A fantastic resource for HIIT workouts that kick your butt is BodyRock.Tv! Be warned though, these workouts are for more advanced as they are usually pretty difficult!

Homemade protein bars

My husband and I are obsessed with Rx bars. They are all natural protein bars made from only a few ingredients and no added sugars. The base for all of their bars is a mixture of dates, almonds, protein powder and figs. I decided to make my own version, not that theirs are not healthy, but I just prefer things homemade!

I made two variations, one coconut cashew and another cinnamon almond. Of the Rx bar flavors, the cocoa coconut and coffee cocoa are my favorites! I would have tried to replicate those but I only have vanilla flavored protein powder at the moment and those would require unflavored or chocolate, so I am saving those for next time!

Coconut Cashew:

1 cup dates

1 cup cashews

1 scoop protein powder

1/3-1/2 cup figs (taste preference)

1/3-1/2 cup coconut (also a taste preference)

2 tablespoons coconut oil

Put everything in a food processor and process until well blended and moldable. This took a few minutes in my processor. Pour into a loaf pan (or 8'8 pan if you like them thinner) and press down. Refrigerate until set then cut into bars and wrap individually.

Cinnamon Almond:

1 cup dates

1 cup almonds

1 scoop protein powder

1/3-1/2 cup figs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Natural Metabolism Boosters!

Metabolism, the energy burning unit of the body, is responsible for how many calories we burn. The faster and harder it works, the more calories we burn on average. So wouldn't you want to do everything in your power to keep this furnace burning at full capacity and give it boosts every now and then if possible? Well you're in luck, I've got a few ways to stoke that fire and keep your metabolism going full speed!

Green tea contains catechin which has a thermogenic effect on the body, increasing the overall metabolic rate and helping the body to burn fat and not store fat. I recommend getting at least 3 cups in a day if possible, the hotter the better because as it cools, it loses some of it's effect. Coffee has a similar effect and raises your resting metabolic rate, or the amount of calories your body burns at rest. So drink up, just limit your creams and sugars and overall cups to 2-3 a day.

Ice cold water. The colder the better. The colder the water, the harder your body has to work and the more energy it burns trying to warm the water up inside your body. When your body is thirsty or dehydrated, your body may confuse that feeling with hunger and you may end up eating to satiate yourself when really all you needed was some water! Whenever you are feeling hungry and you don't think you should be (i.e. you ate an hour ago, etc), try having a glass or two of water and see if the feeling passes before reaching for a snack.

Eat protein. Protein is harder for your body to digest so it takes longer, making you feel fuller longer, and also burns more energy breaking it down. Just make sure your sources of protein are lean: turkey, chicken, ham, fish, lean ground beef, etc.

Build more muscle. Cardio is an important component of any workout routine, and definitely burns a lot of calories, however it should certainly not be the only component! You want to make sure you are strength training at least 2 days a week for 20-30 minutes at a time to build lean muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat so just having more muscle tone will burn more calories. Also, strength training continues to burn calories for hours after your session, when the body works to repair the damaged muscles.

Skipping meals is a big NO-NO! You read that right, do not skip meals. If you go too long between meals, your body begins to think you are starving it, so it goes into conservation mode in an effort to conserve as much energy as possible, causing your metabolism to hit the brakes and drastically slow down. This is especially important for breakfast since your body has already been in a state of starvation for the 7-9 hours you were sleeping. You want to eat something as soon as you can in the morning, ideally within 30-60 minutes. If you are not a big morning eater, at least have a glass of milk or juice, anything with calories until you are hungry enough for a bigger meal.

Spicy foods contain capsaicin, it is what gives peppers their heat. They create heat in the body and raise the body temperature, causing the same effect on your metabolism.

That time of year again...

Allergies, a word we have all grown to know and hate! Allergies can be ruthless and seem endless, especially at peak times, which in Chicago, we seem to be in right now! PollenCasts are high for the next few weeks so this post is just in time! Although there is no way to cure allergies, there are ways to help tame the awful symptoms.

Netipots are one of my favorite tools for clearing out sinuses. They work wonders...I have gone from fully stuffed up, unable to breath or taste, to breathing clearly within minutes. They involve rinsing out sinuses with a saline solution helps to break up and loosen mucus and remove any allergens. if you have never used a Neti Pot, it is a very weird sensation and may take a little getting used to, but trust me, the benefits are worth it! Having a vaporizer or humidifier in your bedroom at night will also help keep airways moist.

Hot showers will help open the nasal passages and airways and help clear them out, improving sinus pressure and breathing overall. It is also important to rinse off or shower after being outdoors during peak times. The steam will help moisten nasal passages and flush out mucus. If you do not feel like fully showering, you can drape a towel or sheet around your head while positioningyourself over a bowl of boiling water or sink with running hot water. You can increase the effect of the steam by adding a menthol-scented oil to the water or sink, such as eucalyptus or peppermint.

Nasal and airway inflammation is a common symptom of allergies and causes a lot of discomfort. Butterbur is an herb that may help control some of this inflammation. Bromelain, found in pineapples, is also something that can help decrease inflammation and help relieve symptoms.

Tea, especially peppermint is a great way to help loosen up the airways and break up the mucus and have a decongestant effect. Spicy foods may also have a temporary decongestant effect because they open the nasal passages, causing the nose to run and will help to clear out any built up mucus.

Even if we are able to help diminish some of the symptoms of allergies, even temporarily, it's worth trying. If you happen to try any of these out, let us know if they worked for you...and if you know of any that I did not include int he list, please feel free to share. Allergy season is upon us and it is supposed to be one the worst years for allergens so the more we can do to try and fight them, the better!

Heartburn, and what do do about it

I am one of the lucky ones that suffers from heartburn on a daily basis, literally. I know that sounds horrible, but it is something that I share with 20+ other million people and it is not fun! I should say that I used to experience the joy of heartburn daily but still get it frequently but not all day everyday. I know that there are pills you can take daily that will relieve the symptoms but the side effects and what they do to your body is not worth it to me, I'd rather suffer through the heartburn.

The common myth with heartburn is that there is too much acid which is causing the burning sensation. In fact, research has shown that it may actually be due to not enough acid production. There is a sphincter, the lower esophageal sphincter, that connects the espophagus to the stomach that opens and closes. It is this valve that closes and keeps stomach acid from rising into the esophagus. If there is not enough acid in the stomach, the sphincter will not close properly, allowing whatever acid is there to come up into the esophagus. There are a few things you can do naturally to help increase the amount of acid in the stomach and help control heartburn.

Hydrochloric acid supplements can be taken daily. These will increase the amount of stomach acid, help the sphincter function properly and decrease heartburn. They may be labeled 'betaine HCL' and make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle.

Before eating, you can mix a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with a cup or so of water and drink it. This will help balance the pH and acid levels of the stomach as well. (I much prefer apple cider vinegar and feel it works better, but that is just my opinion). Eden's organic is my favorite brand.

Do not lay down after eating. For me, this rule applies for at least 3 hours after eating or I will always get heartburn. Also, do not exercise immediately after eating, give at least 30-60 minutes for your body to digest some of the food before working out.

Lastly, spicy food, fatty food or overeating in general all exacerbate symptoms. For me, spicy food does not affect me, however too many mixed nuts does every time! You need to figure out your own triggers and to avoid them as much as possible. A food journal is a great way to do this. Log what you eat at what time a day and how you feel throughout the day and take notice of any patterns or triggers.

All of these have helped me and I continue to do them and am in a better place than I was before! The frequency and severity of my heartburn have both decreased, but there are occasional flare-ups that are just as bad as before, but I'll take less frequent and less severe any day!

Hangover helpers!

We've all gone out celebrating with friends, significant others, family...only to wake up the next morning realizing we had a few too many. The dreaded feeling of knowing you should've called it quits a little sooner and now there's nothing you can do! Or is there? That may not be entirely true, there are a few things you can do to help ease some of the uncomfortable symptoms.

<p> Banans are life savers. When you are hungover, your body is depleted of potassium which banans are a great source of. Replenishing that lost potassium will help return you back to normal. My favorite is to make a smoothie with banans, strawberries, greek yogurt (plain or vanilla), almond milk, honey (if I don't use vanilla yogurt) and ice.

<p> B-vitamins are next. Since alcohol is a diuretic, our bodies lose crucial B-vitamins so replenishing them is very important. Taking a B-complex or at the very least, just B-12 may help to shorten that hangover.

<p> Water, and lots of it! It's no secret that your body is severely dehydrated after drinking. Hangover headaches are caused from the brain not getting enough water, so rehydrating is a definite must! I always say, the colder the better, since colder water revs the metabolism.

<p> Sweating out the toxins with a light workout is another one. You have to be careful with this one and monitor your heart rate because you do not want to raise it too high since blood pressure is typically already elevated.

<p> Milk thistle

<p> In addition to some of the positive things we can do, there are also a few to stay away from. Everyone talks about craving greasy, bad food that next morning. Some people even swear it helps, but in reality, too much grease can lead to indigestion, heartburn and further nausea. Also, avoid caffeine, another diuretic that will further dehydrate the body. And lastly, stay far away from Acetaminophen.  The liver is aleeady under excess strain, trying to remove all the alcohol and extra toxins, acetaminophen will put extra, umnecessary strain in the liver. If necessary, stick with Ibuprofen.

Anterior Head Carriage

"For every inch your head moves forwards, it gains 10 pounds in weight, as far as the muscles in your upper back and neck are concerned, because they have to work that much harder to keep the head (chin) from dropping onto your chest. This also forces the suboccipital muscles (they raise the chin) to remain in constant contraction, putting pressure on the 3 Suboccipital nerves. This nerve compression may cause headaches at the base of the skull. Pressure on the suboccipital nerves can also mimic sinus (frontal) headaches." Kapandji, Physiology of the Joints, Volume 3. Anterior head carriage usually goes hand in hand with rounded shoulders and an overall 'hunched appearance.' In our forward,computer and technology driven society, this is extremely important to be aware of and keep in mind. Posture is definitely something we all need to pay more attention to. There are exercises and stretches specific to helping improve posture, along with numerous ergonomic settings that can help. Being aware and paying attention to your posture throughout the day is the most important factor though. It is one of those things that is hardly noticed and finally after who knows how long, we'll find ourselves completely hunched over typing, reading, etc.

Stretching the front, tight muscles and working to strengthen and tighten the stretched back muscles is what we want to accomplish. Stretching the chest will help loosen up those tight muscles that are pulling the shoulders forward. A few ideas are to use a doorway or lay on your back over a stability ball letting your arms fall out to the sides. Another is to reach and lock both arms behind your back, raising arms as far as you can behind you and holding 30 seconds. Another is to sit with your back against a wall (wall sit exercise essentially) and raise your arms like a goal-post, against the wall. Slowly raise your arms as high as possible, trying to straighten them all the way to 180 if possible. Next, to strengthen those back muscles, rows, lat pull downs, supermans, cat-camels, bird-dogs, and reverse flys. Focusing on your core will also improve overall posture by helping to stabilize the body. Sitting also tightens the hip flexors so you really want to focus on stretching those out as much as possible. Lunge position, leaning forward is a good one, as is the butterfly to incorporate the inner thigh and groin. When the hip flexors become too tight, the glutes can de-activate so performing glute specific exercises is also important. These include glute bridges and donkey kicks.

Next, you really want to pay attention to your posture throughout the day. If you work at a desk, that means getting up frequently and walking around, stretching, just getting the blood flowing and muscles warmed back up. Proper ergonomics are also very important and can make a huge difference. You want your computer screen above eye level so that when you are looking straight ahead, your eyes line up with the middle to top 1/3 of your screen and the monitor should be an arms lenght away from your body. Your chair should have lumbar support and be at the height that your hips and knees are bent to 90 degrees (legs parallel to the floor), with your feet resting flat on the floor. Your keyboard should be at the level where your arms rest comfortably, wrists level with or slightly below elbows, wrists straight, not bent at all and elbows in line with body, not in front of behind body. You also want to pay attention to your shoulders and how relaxed they are, they should be fully relaxed, not hunched at all. This is something that will continue to happen over and over until you correct it, so when you are not aware of it, you will keep finding yourself with shoulders hunched, creating neck and back tension.

How to gain weight in a healthy way

I am fully aware that this is not a problem that majority of people have but it is something I have been asked time and time again and went through myself, so I wanted to touch on it. I went through this issue when I was getting married. My wonderful boyfriend had proposed to me and we began planning the wedding and rest of our lives together, every girl's dream! Only problem was, I didn't fit well into almost any dresses I tried on, they were all falling off and they didn't come in any smaller sizes. Every future bride wants to look at herself in the mirror, with that dress on and be wowed...with clips and pins holding the dresses up in every direction, it was pretty hard for me to get that 'magical feeling' every girl talks about. Shoot, they even made an entire show dedicated to that 'feeling,' Say Yes To The Dress.' I did not have that moment and wanted to put on a few pounds, in a healthy way, to make myself feel and look better for my big day!

Step one in this whole process is realizing that you are uncomfortable with yourself in this way. Skinnier is not always better or healthier, at least not to me. To me, it wasn't about being skinny at all, it was about being healthy and feeling strong which in turn would make me look at myself in a better way. Standing in those beautiful clipped and pinned dresses, looking in the mirror, I did not exactly feel as strong and healthy as I would have liked. But I had 10 months to get myself there and so I did. My goal was to put on 10 healthy pounds.

Diet is the most important portion to gaining weight in a healthy way, but you also want to change the way you are working out so that they compliment each other and neither is a wasted effort. nutrient dense foods. Your goal is to build muscle and strength, not just add weight. IF you just increase calories and start eating anything and everything in sight, you will gain fat and start replacing muscle you already have with fat. You will also feel tired and sluggish from simple carbs and sugars. Obviously you want to increase your daily caloric intake, but you want to do so with nutrient dense foods. Try to get an extra 200-300 calories a day. You want to increase your protein intake, getting the extra protein from lean protein sources (chicken, turkey, lean red meats, fish, milk, protein powder, etc). You also want to make sure you are eating enough carbohydrates, focusing on whole grain sources. Carbs are the energy and fuel source for your brain and workouts, you do not want to skimp on these, ever, especially when you are trying to put on weight. Healthy monosaturated fats are another best friend during this time. You want to incorporate some at every meal. These include olive oil, avocado, nuts, nut butters, dairy fats etc. Eating more frequently, every 3-5 hours, is also important, not huge meals, but sufficient enough to keep a constant incoming fuel source for your body to function. Lastly, adding in more no-sugar added juices and beverages will add calories without filling you up too much.

Changing the way you workout will also have a big effect. You want to do more strength and weight training than cardio. You are trying to build muscle, not just burn fat. Alternate between lifting heavier weights for less reps and lighter weights for more reps. Keep track of calories burned with a polar watch so you can know exactly how many calories you burned that you need to replace.

Reaching your ideal weight, whether that means you had to gain or lose pounds should always be a great feeling, how you got there is not what matters! Feeling great and being confident in yourself is what matters most. This last picture is of me on our wedding day, a happy, healthy plus 10 pounds from the previous pictures. No more veiny, wiry arms and my dress is actually staying put, not falling down!

Free Weights or Machines?

When you walk into a gym, you are immediately surrounded by an overwhelming amount of machines. Which machine is best, how do I use it, what muscle group am I working, is this the best way to work said muscles? The answer to these questions varies depending on the specific machine in question, but overall, my general opinion is to stay away from machines and focus on performing body weight exercises using kettlebells, free weights, body bars or medicine balls is a better way to go. This is not always the case though, TRX and cable machines can be great.

Your body is designed to move through all planes of motion, not isolated, incomplete movements. Your body is designed to push, pull, squat, lunge, run, jump, twist, bend, etc. Sitting a machine takes majority of these movements out of the picture right off the bat. Being able to control your movement pattern and range of motion is better. It mimics everyday life activities and athletics. Body weight exercises also recruit and use more muscles at one time, therefore getting a better overall, full-body workout. You also have to use your core and stabilizing muscles which is very important to keep your body and joints healthy. The more muscles you work at one time, the more of a cardiovascular component is added to your workout too, further increasing the efficiency of the workout.

Cable pulley machines and TRX straps definitely fall into the ok to use category. They allow the body to move through multiple planes and require recruitment of core and stabilizing muscles, just like body weight and free weight exercises.

For example, let's look at what appears to be every female in the gym's favorite machine to use, the adductor machine. The one where you sit and squeeze your inner thighs together. This machine isolates the hip adductors or inner thigh muscles, and it will certainly strengthen them, but only in the situation where you are sitting and squeezing your legs together. This is not a natural movement, your inner thighs are important for squatting in a wide stance, squatting on one leg, running, etc. So it is better to work these muscles while working other muscles at the same time they usually work in connection with, so they can function as they would in the real world. Perform plié squats (wide leg stance with toes turned out, lower into a squat until thighs are parallel to floor).

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe!

Sweets for breakfast are my favorite...I'd much prefer a pastry to eggs any day! If you are like me or just enjoy a nice breakfast pastry from time to time, I have a wonderful, healthy recipe that will keep you on track with your goals but also satiate that need for breakfast sweets! Obviously this can even be eaten as a dessert, but to me, it's breakfast!

Banana Bread:

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup white flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup unsweetened applesauce (decrease amount of brown sugar if use sweetened)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup low fat buttermilk (can mix ¼ teaspoon lemon juice in ¼ cup skim milk and let stand 10 mins)

3 roasted bananas (instructions to follow)

 

To roast bananas, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Do not peel bananas, lay them on a baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes. Set aside to let cool before peeling. Once cool enough to handle, peel and mash.

Sidenotes, you may substitute yogurt for the applesauce as well, just follow the same rule, if it is sweetened and not plain, decrease the amount of brown sugar used. Also, you do not have to use roasted bananas for this recipe and can use plain old ripe bananas, I just love the different taste roasting bananas adds to the bread!

To bake the banana bread, keep oven at 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, sift together flours, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat together the applesauce or yogurt with the brown sugar until well blended. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in vanilla extract, then mashed bananas. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry. Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes.

Nutritional information for 10 slices: 174 calories, 1.2 gram of fat, 34.4 grams of carbs, 1.9 grams fiber, 16.4 grams of sugar, 4 grams protein. To increase the protein in the recipe, you can add a scoop of protein powder to the batter with the dry ingredients. This will change the nutritional information according to the specific brand you use.

This bread comes out very moist and pretty dense, like a lot of things baked with applesauce or yogurt. As a general rule of thumb, I’ve found that applesauce or yogurt (especially Greek yogurt) can replace butter or oil in most baked good recipes, except for cookies. The texture is just nowhere near a normal cookie when the fats are replaced…my husband kindly refers to these as ‘mookies,’ a muffin in the form of a cookie!