Monday, February 27, 2012

The Big "O"






"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." Just one of many quotes from Hippocrates that I love. The dude knew what he was talking about!! This nugget of wisdom definitely applies to modern times, especially considering all of the junk that's passed off as food. And even if you steer clear of the processed foods and strive to eat whole foods, you're still dealing with loads of pesticides, hormones, and other toxins that are just plain bad news. Kind of makes you feel like you're damned if you do and damned if you don't, right?!

All it takes is a little awareness, a little education, and a little conscientious effort when it comes to your food. In order to save you hours of research, I'll give you a quick breakdown. For starters, let's talk organic. Most people I talk to are a little hazy on what exactly this label means. Specifically, it refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products, and meat. Basically, it just means that the farmers avoid using chemicals (by using such methods as crop rotation, natural fertilizer, etc.).



So what's the big deal, you ask? A few chemicals in your food can't be that bad, or else they'd put a stop to it, right?! WRONG. After all, they keep selling cigarettes, right?? Studies keep emerging spotlighting the harmful effects of hormones and pesticides on our health. Much of our current-day health crisis can be blamed on the toxins in our environment and food. The book that really woke me up was Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels (I highly recommend it for many reasons!). She cites study after study highlighting the awful toll that toxins have taken on our health. The evidence is horrifying. Fortunately, more light is being shed on the issue, which leads to more research being conducted to substantiate the claims, which leads to more actions being taken to address the issue. My doctor fully embraces going organic and recommended the film "Forks Over Knives" for further reference.



So how do these toxins affect you?? Get this: Pesticides in non-organic food have ben shown to reduce fertility, impact your immune system (leaving you more susceptible to illness and vulnerable to some forms of cancer!), and pack on the pounds (by interfering with your hormone levels). Take it from me, anything that messes with your hormones is baaaad news.



This doesn't mean you have to forbid non-organic food from ever touching your lips again. When it comes to fruit and veggies, there's a group dubbed the "Dirty Dozen" that is...you guessed it...the dirtiest of them all, as well as a group titled the "Clean Fifteen" that aren't as bad (click on these terms to access the list). Generally, it's best to suck it up and go organic when it comes to meat/poultry, eggs, dairy, and fruits/veggies with edible skin. Important note: If the product doesn't sport the label "USDA-certified organic" then no deal!! Same goes for all-natural. Unless the USDA has given its stamp of approval, then it's an empty promise (unless it was locally grown, i.e. at a farmer's market). One great company is Organicbettylous. The owner did her homework and you know you're getting a high-quality product.

One teensy complaint is that organic products cost a little bit more. One thing you have to ask yourself is if you want to pay a high grocery bill now or a high hospital bill later. Unless Dr. Oz is your pops and you get the family discount, hospital bills tend to run a wee bit more than grocery bills! Many people find ordering online lots cheaper. Trader Joe's is a great, cheap option, and Whole Foods is popular, too. Hit up the farmers markets, too. And just think: If we all take a stand against the use of toxins, then companies will respond to the increased demand and organic products will become more widely available AND cheaper!! We demand it, they supply it, so start demanding!!!
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Saturday, February 25, 2012

HIIT Me With Your Best Shot!!!





Calling all busy people!! All you moms, students, wives, humans ~ no matter your title, I feel pretty confident that you're like me and have a gazillion things to do a day!! Do I have some good info for you!!

I don't know about you, but I get bored really easily. This applies to all aspects of my life, but especially my fitness regimen. Don't ask me how I've been able to focus long enough to run 26.2 miles!! My first marathon I trained for three months, (you better believe every one of those miles was logged outside and not on the "dreadmill") and my last marathon I didn't even train at all (which I don't entirely recommend!!). It's beyond me how people can get on those cardio machines and stay on for an hour or more. At the same pace. Makes me personally feel like a hamster. Just sayin'...

Whether you're borderline-ADD like me (nothing wrong with that!), or just looking to ramp up your endurance and results, you absolutely MUST know about HIIT. HIIT = High Intensity Interval Training. The whole idea is to go hard for a bit (anywhere from 30 seconds to three minutes)and then back off for a few (usually 30-seconds to a minute). So for example, if you're running, you'll sprint for as long as you can stand (max. three minutes), then take it easiER for a bit, then repeat the cycle. If you're on the elliptical, for the intense intervals you'll pump up the resistance, then back off for the "rest" periods. This jacks your heart rate up, lets it recover, and then forces it to get busy again. It forces it to adapt, which equals more calories burned and a faster metabolism and a longer, more intense afterburn (the period of time following exercise that your metabolism is on FIRE!).

This is great for so many reasons!! 1) Beats boredom and breaks up the time (which can really boost your motivation and mental and physical stamina; 2) It is waaay more effective than just continuing at a steady pace. Trust me, your endurance will thank you!! 3) You'll burn more calories during AND after your workout!! 4) It's so time-efficient! After just 15 or 20, cross that workout off your to-do list and spend that extra time doing other things!!

If you're still not sold and are looking for the cold hard facts, then get ready for some science to seal the deal. A pair of studies done at McMaster University found that “6-minutes of pure, hard exercise once a week could be just as effective as an hour of daily moderate activity“, according to the June 6, 2005 CNN article reporting on the study. In his excellent book on high-intensity strength training, Body By Science, Dr. Doug McGuff explains that high-intensity training is superior to chronic cardio because it produces a greater stimulus and thus more effectively empties the muscles and liver of glucose. This stimulus can last several days with HIIT (wowza!!), as opposed to just a few hours with low-intensity training. HIIT also activates hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), so both glucose and fatty acids will be burned, leading to greater fat loss and restoration of insulin sensitivity.

BY FAR my favorite HIIT fitness program is Insanity. Takes your cardio to a whole new level!! If that sounds a little too intimidating, a super fun (but effective!) workout is Turbo Fire. Turbo Fire is an awesome kickboxing workout ~ you're punching, you're kicking, you're shaking your booty!! Both are Beachbody programs, so if you want to know more about them or are interested in trying them out for yourself, either reach out to me and/or check them out at: BeachbodyCoach/Whit13








Otherwise, incorporate HIITs into your fitness regimen and get ready for some major benefits in your fitness level! Trust me, your heart (and behind!) will thank you. Trust!

Check out full article: HIIT Training



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Friday, February 24, 2012

BON APPETIT!!





Hey you. Did you eat breakfast this morning?? If not, was it because: A)You didn't have time. B) You're trying to save those calories for a "splurge" meal later today. C) You weren't hungry. D) Breakfast just isn't your thing?

Well, guess what? You need to make it your thing. If you want your body to be good to you, you have to be good to it. Bottom line. Do you ever decide, "Oh, I need to start pinching those pennies. I think I'll save some $$ and just not put gas in my car. I'll just power through." Sounds ridiculous, right? It IS ridiculous. Unless you're Wilma Flinstone, your car needs fuel. Same with your body. It doesn't buy into the whole "diet" shtick. See where I'm going with this? You see, what happens when you stop fueling your body is your body thinks it's going into starvation mode. Yeah, you'll drop some LBs right off the bat, but then your body will start to panic and think, "Oh no!! I don't know when I'll get food again. I better hang onto every calorie I can and store it as FAT so I'll have a backup plan just in case I don't get nutrients for awhile." And then it takes awhile to convince your body that the Rapture isn't near and it's safe to start blasting through those calories again.



Breakfast is super important because it sets your metabolism for the rest of the day. You skip breakfast and all sorts of bad things happen. Your body starts storing those extra calories, your blood sugar takes a nosedive, your brain can't focus, you're more likely to binge later in the day... No bueno, right? Trust me, I know how it is when food doesn't sound appealing in the A.M. I wake up starving, but my prescribed herbal regimen I have to take before eating completely wipes out any appetite. So what do I do? I eat something anyway, because I know just how important it is.

Also, if you really aren't ever hungry in the morning, then that could possibly be a red flag that something is wrong with your health. A hungry tummy in the morning means that everything is zooming along and your body's going about its business like it should. If you have a persistent lack of appetite in the morning (and you haven't just worked out) then this is something you should run by your doc. If you're not hungry, then this is maybe because your body has other problems it's addressing, rather than worrying about taking in and digesting nutrients. Or perhaps your digestion system is out of wack and your body isn't digesting food as quickly as it should. The possible causes are many, which is why a physician should be consulted.

It's not just with breakfast, though. You should never skip meals if you're hungry. Ever. Unless, of course, it's for a religious reason or something equally justifiable. Being hungry is miserable and is MUCH MUCH MUCH worse for you in the long run. MUCH worse. Sure, you may feel svelte now, but you'll be singin' a different tune when your metabolism is giving you the finger and is in slow-mo. Although every body is different, and each day is different, a good general rule of thumb is to not go more than four hours without eating. You hear me?!! So plan ahead! Almonds are a fantastic powerhouse snack. So are apples, as well as almond butter and celery. Whatever it is, just feed that face of yours!! And even if you're not hungry right now but know that you'll going somewhere and won't have access to food for awhile (example: if you're going to a play) then have a little nibble just to tide you over. Do try to stay away from packaged (and PROCESSED) foods as much as possible, though. What you gain in convenience you lose in nutrition. I've said it before and I'll say it again: The closest a food is to its natural form, the better. More about that later... Until then, BON APPETIT!!

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

What's Your Why??

Whether you're just embarking on this fitness journey or you're a veteran of the fitness scene, there is one question you absolutely must ask yourself: WHY?? Why are you looking to get fit?


-Is it internal motivation or external?
-Are you solely looking to get fit or is weight loss a goal as well?
-If weight loss is an objective, then what makes you think you need to lose weight?
Doctor, friends, spouse, self? Do the skinny minnies plastered all over the
magazines have anything to do with that desire, by chance?
-What's your ideal weight and what made you choose that number?
-Are you more interested in looking better, feeling better, or both? If you had
to choose between the two, which would it be? Be honest with yourself!!



I know, I know, enough with the 20 questions! The point of that mini-interrogation was to get you to really delve deeply into yourself and identify what it is that's fueling your desire. Get a load of this: Despite the message that society shoves down your throat, not all of us need to lose weight!! Some of us...gasp...are actually meant to be larger than a size 2!!!!! And being so doesn't mean that we're couch surfing and noshing on onion rings all day! Alert the press!! Many of us have unrealistic ideas of what constitutes a healthy weight and body shape. I mean, think about it: Variety is the spice of life. There are so many different skin colors, races, ethnicities, personalities, heights, etc., so why doesn't it make sense that there would be a multitude of body shapes as well?? That being said, I have a challenge for you: Consider your answers to the questions above for wanting to get fit and/or lose weight. Got 'em? Okay, now cross off all those that are in any way related to your appearance. Now look at what's left. Anything?



Hey, don't get me wrong. I'm all about battling complacency and striving to be your best self. I'm a "Type A" to the max and am always pushing for more, never wanting to settle. I firmly believe in setting goals, especially fitness goals, and evolving and growing and improving. BUT just because it's a fitness goal doesn't mean it has to be a weight loss goal!!! Might I suggest some "replacement" goals? How about aiming to climb two flights of stairs without getting winded? How about working towards increasing your energy? Perhaps running a race? Bumping up those dumbbell weights from fives to tens? Just plain FEELING BETTER. The takeaway lesson: We can only improve on the bodies we have ~ we can't change them into someone else's body. You may not need a body makeover ~ you may just need a mental makeover.



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Monday, February 20, 2012

Get Ready, Get Set...Get Going!

Source: toneupnyc.tumblr.com via Whitney on Pinterest

As some of you may know, I'm a Beachbody coach. Beachbody is the company behind P90X, insanity, Brazil Butt Lift, Turbo Fire ~ does the name ring a bell now? So what does a Beachbody coach do, you ask?? I help people look and feel fabulous! I help you find a workout program that's right for you, I help you develop a healthy eating habits (notice I didn't say that awful 4-letter word, diet!), and I help keep you accountable.
Sounds pretty cool, right? It really is. The only kicker is that this coolness can't happen if you aren't willing to change. I can give you all the right tools and all the encouragement in the world, but if you don't feel that fire within yourself, then it's just not going to happen. Bottom line. It's not a matter of me giving up on you ~ it's a matter of you giving up on you.




I gotta tell you, I believe in these products 100% (or else I wouldn't be a coach), but most importantly, I believe in you. Don't get it twisted, I'm not trying to push products here. I don't care if you don't buy a single thing from me. All I care about is a healthy you. Are you looking to sign up for a race but don't know where to start?? Then I'm your girl!! I've run 2 full marathons now, and I've helped friends train, so I know a thing or two. Is running not your thing? Then let's figure something else out!! There are bajillions of fitness programs out there for you to try, so no need to limit yourself! It's about finding your "soulmate" workout, one that you would do even if you weren't burning any calories. So whether you're shaking your booty or pumping that iron, just remember: commit to change and commit to you. It's up to you!!!!!!

if you're interested in learning more about Beachbody's products (supplements, fitness programs you can do at home, Shakeology, etc.) shoot me a message and/or check out my website:

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/whit13








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Sunday, February 19, 2012

DOWN WITH DIETS

there's one thing you should know about me: I HATE DIETS!! you too? awesome! we'll get along just swell. :)
just like in life, i hate people telling me what to do. likewise with eating, i hate people telling me what i should eat and when i should eat it and how i should eat it. now wanna hear some really great news?? your body hates diets, too!! they're not effective and actually many times are harmful and can make you GAIN weight. this is because if you're restricting your caloric intake and not getting enough nutrients, your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to any calories it can grab, storing them as fat. not exactly the goal you had in mind, right?? so the way i see it, why be miserable and starving if you're just going to end up with the exact opposite of your desired effect?? so you can have your cake and eat it, too!!!
now let me clarify. when i'm talking about diets, i'm talking restrictive eating and obsessive calorie counting. what about that sounds fun?? (disclaimer: of course, there are certain medical conditions and circumstances where a strict diet is necessary, but unless it's doctor mandated, put down the food scale and step away from the calorie tracker!!). now, that doesn't mean load up on the junk and get all hopped up on sugar. but that also doesn't mean that in order to be healthy you have to swear off all sweets forevermore. the secret?? it's simple, actually. and you once had it down pat when you were little. all you have to do is listen to your body and let it guide your dietary decisions. it's called intuitive eating. i'll blog more about it in future posts, but for now a great resource is:
remember when you were five and it was easy for you to push away a half-finished plate of yumminess once you'd hit your limit? it was simple: you wanted a treat, so you indulged, but when you were full, you stopped eating. somehow in the time from then until now we've lost touch with our intuition. guess what?? you can get it back!!! it'll take a little time to get the hang of it again, but once you re-establish that connection, it's like magic. you give your body what it wants, and it'll give you what you want!!! like a rockin' bod!!! deal?!!
some takeaway tips:
1. don't deprive yourself!!!
instead of trying to satisfy that chocolate craving with chocolate-flavored rice cakes, just have that brownie in the first place!!! studies have shown that you actually consume many more calories in your attempt to satisfy a craving with alternatives than you would have if you would've had the dang brownie in the first place!
which brings me to my next point:
2. don't make certain foods off-limits.
you know how it is: the minute you tell yourself you can't have something, what happens?? all you can think about is that thing, right?? and when you finally do 'allow' yourself to have just a teensy tiny taste, that teensy tiny taste turns into 35 teensy tiny tastes. so save yourself the trouble. plus, it's not any fun to be restricted, is it?? no, it's not. and life should be fun.
3. food is not good or bad. food is just food.
i promise the food police won't issue a citation for that bag of potato chips you had at lunch. so munch away! (we'll get to making healthy choices later, and you'll likely get to the point where your body will start to crave whole foods. but baby steps!!)
4. let your body be your guide.
some days you're going to be Starvin' Marvin. some days you're going have the appetite of a bird. your body fluctuates, so why shouldn't your caloric intake?? how much sense does it make to stick to a set amount of calories day in and day out?? as they've shown with studies, if you eat intuitively, it all evens out in the end. plus, it's actually better for your body and metabolism to change up the calories. keeps it guessing, which keeps you lookin' flyyyy. :)
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Getting Down to Business

Now let's get down to business. Let me explain to you what I'm all about. If you know me personally, you know that I've been dealing with health issues for awhile. What kind of health issues? Wellll, there's hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), stomach issues, and severe adrenal fatigue. What does all this mean?? Well, basically, it makes for a very tired, very sluggish, very spacey, very cranky Whitney!! After doing bajillions of hours of research and seeing countless docs (I always joke it would've been cheaper, faster, and more profitable to just go to med school!) I've finally found an incredible doctor (more on her later) who is helping me get my mojo back!!
Enough about me: What does all this mean for you?? It means that through my research and life experience, I've come across some fantastic information, tools, and resources to help YOU!! As a Beachbody Coach (and just all-around lover of all things health & fitness) I am passionate about helping others achieve their health and fitness goals. I need you to remember one thing though: Being skinny takes a backseat to being fit and healthy! Just like rockin' the size 00 jeans doesn't mean you're healthy, working a size 10 doesn't mean you're unhealthy. The major lesson I've learned through all of my struggles is that you have to work with your body, not against it. So quit beating yourself up if you don't have Kelly Ripa's abs or Beyonce's booty ~ you have you, so make it work! It's about strength, not size!!!!
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