Powerspiration! (INTERVIEW)

My client Angie Metzger runs a website called Anorexia Warrior.  
The site is geared towards women who have 

have issues with eating disorders and are looking to stop the cycle of 
self destruction and start making

choices about diet and exercise that engender health and wellness.

Below is a link to an interview I did with Angie where she asked me 
questions relating to exercise and diet.  My approach is 

is a health and wellness FIRST one that empowers people to work 
smarter rather than harder.

Enjoy!

http://www.anorexiawarrior.com/powerspiration.html

Simple Changes

If you keep up with this blog you are probably interested in giving yourself the best chance at a healthy life both now and into the future.  Sometimes making simple changes can be an excellent way to get yourself moving on that path.

I just saw Yoplait has a campaign to make one switch a day,  for example, choose yogurt for a frosted cookie.  I recently switched from peanut butter to almond butter.  They both carry a bunch of calories but almond butter is more nutrient dense and tasty too!

Do the same with your pilates practice.  Start with one session each week for some months and then add another.  I'm certain you'll notice a difference.  Allison made an excellent case for getting on the pilates bandwagon yesterday.  It's a proven form of exercise and definitely not a fad.

Injury by Crossfit.

I read an interesting article by Rami Hashish, DPT entitled "Injury by Crossfit."  It lists a few of the most popular Crossfit exercises which, when done properly and with attention to form and quality of movement, are a great workout.  However when done competitively for quantity can become dangerous and cause injury. 

Adherence to the CrossFit program and performance of its exercises undoubtedly generates results, but if done improperly...the likelihood of injury appears high. I would thus be amiss to advise against CrossFit exercises and the associated diet, so rather, I take aim at the CrossFit structure that clearly fails in ensuring that their coaches place emphasis on long-term health and wellness, rather than simple performance metrics. Because frankly, it's hard to be elite with a herniated disc.

Here at Urbancore Pilates we strive for quality of movement over quantity with every exercise we teach, and rarely do we perform a particular exercise more than 6 or 8 or 10 reps.  Why?  Pilates is based on the principle that you focus your entire being into each movement - both mind and body - and work so deeply that it is not necessary to do tons of (boring) reps isolating one or two muscles. 

Check out the full article below:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rami-hashish/crossfit-debate_b_3181435.html?utm_hp_ref=@healthfitness123

After 1 Month of Intermittent Fasting - TRANSFORMATION PHOTOS

Ok, as promised here are some photos.  I'm in my undies so if you're offended by that kind of thing don't look ;)

You will notice a decrease in body fat but no reduction in muscle tissue. IF is muscle sparing and fat reducing.  I maybe lost 1 lb on the scale but mostly what you will see from these photos is a change in body composition.

Since starting IF I have noticed that I crave carbohydrates very infrequently.  I crave healthy fats and proteins more.  This is because IF switches the main fuel that your body runs on.  Instead of runnning on carbohydrates for fuel it trains the body to run on fats for fuel.  For more information about how that process works check out this article on Fat Adaptation.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-fat-adapted/#axzz2UDgFdPGw

I will continue doing IF as a lifestyle choice.  My digestion is better and I have a lot more energy!  Also, I have NOT increased my weekly amount of exercise.  I do about 3 hours a week of strength, HIIT, and core conditioning.  I've added in some longer walks because that is what my body feels like doing.  Will post photos at the 2 month mark to chart further changes :)

Before IF

Before IF

After 1 month of IF

After 1 month of IF

Seven minute cardio? Yes, it can work - we've been teaching it for years!

A client sent me the link below to a New York Times article about a  great "new" seven-minute workout using body weight only.  As I read this story, and the article from the American College of Sports Medicine's Health and Fitness Journal on which it was based, I felt a little deja vu - this is exactly what we teach in our Cardio Sculpt class here at the studio!!

HIIT training is becoming more and more popular because it works!  Just ask anyone who regularly takes our Cardio Sculpt class!

That said, to achieve real and lasting benefits, you need to do two things. 

1.  YOU still have to do the work!  It's HIGH INTENSITY interval training - that's around 80% of your maximum effort for each interval - which is really hard!  Ask yourself if you will really give that much effort in your living room?  A class can help motivate you to get the most out of your workout.

2.  You NEED to have great form to prevent injury, and to maximize muscle sculpting, not bulking.  Our Pilates based HIIT class can help you with both.

 So check out the science behind it, and come check out a class - the first one is only $10!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/

Do pilates, shake up your cardio, clean up your diet

If you keep hearing the same mantra, shouldn't you give in and try it? Yes the source is a fashion magazine (to quote Miranda - it's my thing, I love, let it go), the message is pretty clear. If you can commit to all three, you will see changes....fast!

Oh My Aching Back, part III

I think (hope) this will be the last installment in this series, although I will be doing some heavy gardening this weekend:)

I drove to Ann Arbor, MI this past weekend to visit some friends.  Four and a half hours later we disembark. Amazingly, my back isn't as stiff or as sore as it would have been in the past.  During the drive I shifted in the seat frequently, I did a number of pelvic tilts/pelvic clocks, and I tried to maintain pelvic neutral when just sitting.  Car seats, as you know, are not made for the pelvic neutral position.

I think the pelvic neutral work helped me the most and my muscles did not fatigue!  I owe this fact to the pilates I get to do every week for a minimum of three sessions.  Pilates has contributed to my body awareness and the endurance of my core muscles.  Allison blogged about Pilates and car rides on November 20, 2012 so check her post for more details.

Bottom line:  Pilates works when practiced frequently.  Come join me at the studio and experience it for yourself!!

depositphotos.com

Chicken with Olives, Raisins, and Spinach

I made this today and it was simple and delicious!  I made a few amendments to the recipe however - instead of water for the sauce I used vegetable broth, and I also added shallots to the sauce reduction (add at the same time as the olives, raisins, and white wine).  Instead of a bed of rice with the spinach, I simply sauteed the spinach with garlic and put the chicken and sauce on top.

YUM!

http://www.marthastewart.com/316767/chicken-with-olives-raisins-and-spinach

The BOMB Gluten-Free Zucchini Bread

Made this zucchini bread last weekend and it is seriously delicious.  It uses almond flour instead of wheat flour.  Genius!


Click here to get the recipe -------> shine or set.

How healthy is your juicing?

In the fitness world, we often hear about the latest juice/cleanse.  There are some great juice bars in the city, but check out this article - it talks about the specifics on what type of juicing is best for you.  I found it interesting since I own a blender that can turn raw veggies into hot soup in about a minute.  I'm not sure I'll stop doing that because it's so easy and delicious, but this made me think.

http://chicago.eater.com/archives/2013/05/16/getting-juiced-has-never-been-easier.php

As a side note, if you like to see what chefs are cooking and what restaurants are up to, I recommend signing up for the Eater newsletter. 

Now if we could only get a protein bar near UrbanCore Pilates!

Relief for sore muscles!

You might think I'm a little nuts, but I love having sore muscles from a hard workout.  My reward - aside from becoming stronger of course - a long soak in the tub!  I recently found the most amazing bath salts too, which not only ease the sore muscles, but are very calming and restoring for the senses.  Check them out at this link: 

http://www.soothingtouch.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Cedar-Sage-Bath

Stinging Nettles

I am a Farmer's Market groupie.  Every Saturday I get to one of my favorite markets as early as possible from May through November so I'm super excited the market season has begun.  I bought three lacinato kale plants, leafy green lettuce babies, and swiss chard to plant in our EarthBoxes which live on the garage roof.

Last year I noticed stinging nettles for sale but didn't buy any because I was reticent about eating something that could sting me.  I purchased a bunch on Saturday!  Made a frittata using the nettles and leeks (they're in season too) and some smoked gouda cheese.  The eggs were from Blanch, a colleague's hen, and had the yellowist yokes I've ever seen.  It was unbelievably good and I didn't get stung once!  Nettles are only available in early Spring and are chock full of nutrients - potassium, Vitamin A, C, and iron, to name a few.  Try stinging nettles...if you dare!

If you buy your food in season and local all of your senses and especially your taste buds will be jumping for joy.  Find your local farmer's market and try a vegetable or fruit that's new to you.  You'll be glad for the adventure!

Guilt Free Dessert - Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

This tastes like a peanut butter cup without all the added sugar and oils plus added protein for muscle recovery.  Truly delicious!

Peanut Butter Cup Smoothie

 2 scoops BioTrust Low Carb Chocolate Protein Powder (or any brand)

1 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk

1/2 frozen banana

2 tbsp natural peanut butter

1 tbsp pure cocoa powder

5 ice cubes

Nutrition Facts:

Calories (cal): 443

Fat (g): 23

Carbohydrates (g): 33

Fiber (g): 11

Sugar (g): 11

Protein (g): 34

Notes: Put all ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

Inspiring

So my clients have been so inspired and inspiring lately!  I continue to be impressed how some of you jump onto an idea or plan and do not let go!   My daughter said to me this morning "I am going to try again mama; you have to keep practicing..."  And she is only 5 - obviously I can learn from her too!

So I am have a couple of things in mind I would like to achieve. Putting together my plan - and drawing inspiration from around me!

A stretch every body needs

Eve's lunge, as our duet demonstrates below, is an essential stretch that we should do daily. Most of us have some (or a lot of) tightness in our hips. This moving lunge is a great lengthener for the muscles in the front of the rear hip (psoas) as well as the quadracep and obliques. Just make sure, especially if you are flexible, that you remain stable and use the proper alignment to keep the work out of your low back.

My Aching Back, part II

   I've been doing a lot of sitting recently.  I attended a conference this weekend AND helped my partner finish a presentation she's giving at a national conference.  Sitting much more than I usually do which caused discomfort in my back and hips.  As I was listening to one speaker or another I was thinking about all the people who have sit-down jobs and wondering how they do it...day in and day out.
   I put my coursework into immediate practice...on myself.  One topic discussed was lumbosacral control which is teaching people how to have motor control of their pelvis.  This is much of what we do in Pilates.  Try this exercise from Feldenkrais:  lie on your back with your knees bent, imagine there is a clock on your tummy with 12 o' clock at your belly button, rock the clock between 12 and 6 (pelvic tilts) then roll your pelvis around the entire clock, alternating directions.  If you find a region of the clock that doesn't have as much mobility you can focus on that section by rocking in and out of that area.  It should loosen up.
   You can progress by doing this in sitting (that's what I did) or standing putting your hands on a wall or on the floor on your hands and knees.  It's all good and it helped my back rise out of the discomfort I was experiencing.  Pilates can help too.  Try a private session and you'll get some excellent instruction on establishing motor control of your core muscles which helps you on many levels, including extended periods of sitting!!!

FAST your way to fat loss

This week I have been experimenting with IF or Intermittent Fasting.  Basically you eat all of your calories in an 8 hour window and then fast for 16.  So, if you finished eating dinner at 8pm you wouldn't eat until the following day at noon.  Basically you skip breakfast.  When you go without food for long enough (about 12-13hrs) your body goes into a state of energy burning called Ketosis.  This is a state where your body burns fat for fuel instead of glucose.  Doing this diet you will lose fat while sparing muscle tissue.  Another component  of this diet is to train in a fasted state to maximize muscular gain.

So far I've had good results in that I've noticed fat loss in my waist and butt!  I have not increased my workouts at all.  My current workout schedule is 3-5 hrs per week.  Some days I have gone 16 hrs and some days I only made it 13 without eating.  The first few days were rough because I was hungry ALL THE TIME!  That has calmed down and now my stomach feels a bit confused and lost. Apparently it takes a few week to acclimate to this style of eating.  Next week I will post pics.
Stay tuned!

http://www.theiflife.com/intermittent-fasting-101-how-to-start-part-i/

Oh My Aching Back.

It's yard clean up and EarthBox planting time at my house.  This means multiple squats, frequent toe stretches in the kneeling position, raking and sweeping, pulling up the insidious Maple tree sprouts, and of course, lifting heavy bags of garden and tree debris!  I try to lift with my legs when moving pieces of the Earth but sometimes the bag is awkward so more of my back gets utilized than I desire.

But of course, (read with a French accent) the strength I've gained with the multiple sessions of pilates has saved my back more than once!  The imaginary corset is activated subconsciously now but it's taken a significant time commitment to get my core muscles to respond appropriately.

Pay attention to how your warm month activities are enhanced by having a stronger body.  Or, if you're not there yet physically, join me at the studio.  I'm certain Pilates will save your back!

P.S.  Thank goodness I don't have to use this plow!

It's Wednesday, what's for dinner?

While on the reformer this morning at 7:30am, I mentioned that I needed a fresh idea for my family's Wednesday night dinner.  Annie, one of our tenured instructors, suggested codcakes.  Super easy, kids love them and healthy!  So I picked up frozen cod at Trader Joes and came home to make them.

This is how it all went down in about 15 minutes:

1 lb of frozen cod, defrosted, rough chopped in the cuisinart (or by hand)
1 small red onion, sauteed until translucent, also pureed in the cuisinart (so the kids can't see it!)
1 egg, whisked
tsp fresh lemon juice
tbsp dijon mustard
salt, pepper, parsley to taste

Mix all the ingredients (don't forget to saute the onion) and let them sit in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Heat a frying pan. Form the fish into 6-8 patties, coat in bread crumbs (regular, panko, gluten-free, or almond meal as Annie used).  Fry in a bit of olive oil and serve with a veggie or salad side.