"What Your Heart Monitor is Trying to Tell You"

There are many ways to gauge your fitness: number of reps, miles run, level of intensity. For those looking to tangibly track their progress, though, one of the most important tools to have is a heart rate monitor, both because it helps people measure their current state of fitness and it provides valuable data to help maximize workouts. Unfortunately, many people who use heart rate monitors don’t understand what the different numbers mean. And they’re not sure how to use those numbers to improve their workouts. So if you’ve shied away from using a heart rate monitor because you’re not sure what it’s all supposed to mean, don’t fret. Here’s how to overcome the two biggest obstacles: understanding the numbers and interpreting them to help measure your fitness.

Get to Know Your Heart Rate Numbers

There are different types of heart rate measurements, and each plays a significant role. Wear your heart rate monitor throughout the day for several days to track and record your normal heart rate data in various states, which include:

* Resting Heart Rate: This is how fast your heart beats while in a complete state of rest, which is best monitored first thing in the morning, while lying horizontally.

* Delta Heart Rate: This is the difference between your heart rate while resting and standing. So to find your delta heart rate, subtract your resting heart rate from your heart rate while standing.

* Heart Rate During Aerobic Activities: Track your heart rate during your favorite activities, such as walking, power walking, jogging, running and cycling. What heart rate does each activity elicit when you’re going easy, moderate or hard? How do you feel when you’re playing a recreational game of tennis versus a competitive game?

* Max Fat Burning: Despite what you may have heard about the fat burning potential of low intensity exercise, your max fat burning zone actually occurs at the upper end of your aerobic zone, about 80 percent of your max heart rate. It’s true that working at a lower level of intensity (50 to 65 percent of your max heart rate) is easier to maintain for an extended period of time (an hour or more), and it also allows you to burn a greater percentage of fat calories as compared to carbohydrate calories. Yet minute for minute, this lower level of exertion burns substantially fewer total calories and thus fewer fat calories overall. It’s at approximately 80 percent of max that you experience the largest total amount of fat being burned during the shortest duration of time. Generally, you’ll be able to hold your max fat burning intensity for at least 30 minutes (longer as you become more fit).

Estimate your max-fat-burning heart rate with this test:

* Choose an activity in which you can maintain a consistent intensity, such as running, cycling, skiing, rowing, etc.
* Warm up for 10 to 15 minutes.
* Increase your intensity to the highest heart rate you can comfortably maintain and then hold it for 10 minutes. You should be able to talk, but your sentences will be short and choppy.
* Active recovery should be three minutes. Keep moving but with light resistance or intensity.
* Return to the highest heart rate you can hold for 10 minutes and maintain it.
* Cool down for five to 10 minutes.
* Average your heart rate from the two vigorous 10 minute sessions to determine your estimated max fat burning. (Note: This number should be equivalent to the one displayed on most aerobic equipment.)

Maximum Heart Rate: This is the maximum number of times your heart can beat in one minute during an all-out effort. As with your other numbers, maximum heart rate is unique to your physiology. You can estimate it using one of several available formulas, but each has its limitations. Here’s one we recommend for most people:

* [210] minus [1/2 your age] minus
* [5 percent of your body weight] plus
* [4 (males)] or [0 (females)]

For example, a 35 year old man who weighs 180 pounds would have a max heart rate of 187.5 (210-17.5-9+4=187.5).

Another way to determine your maximum heart rate is with a submaximal test. Here are two examples of such a test. (Note: Before completing these tests, anyone over the age of 40 should first check with a doctor or qualified trainer.)

* Ladder Talk Test: Select an activity for which you can gradually increase the intensity, such as running, cycling or rowing. Begin at a heart rate of 110 beats per minute and recite something out loud for 30 to 40 seconds. Continue to increase your heart rate until you can no longer comfortably speak. This is your “talk threshold.” Add 40 to this number to determine your estimated maximum heart rate.

* Walk Test: After warming up, walk briskly for five minutes and note your peak (highest) heart rate. Then choose your current fitness level and add the corresponding fitness factor number (see table below) to your peak heart rate for your estimated maximum heart rate.

Fitness Level


Poor


Average


Excellent


Athlete

Fitness Factor


+40


+50


+60


+90

* Recovery Heart Rate: From 75 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, slow or stop moving and determine how many beats per minute your heart can drop during both a one minute and a two minute period.

Using Your Heart Rate Numbers

Once you know your normal heart rate numbers, it’s time to do something with them. Being able to interpret and respond to your numbers is critical to determining whether your training program is on target, requires more recovery time or needs to be intensified.

* Resting Heart Rate: A drop in resting heart rate usually equates to an increase in fitness. If you see a rise in your resting heart rate of 10 percent or more above normal, it may indicate you are fatigued, are emotionally stressed or your immune system is under attack.

* Delta Heart Rate: As your fitness improves, your delta heart rate will also decrease. This provides you with the confidence that your training program has sufficient stress and recovery to allow your body to get stronger. If you notice a rise in your delta heart rate, it could be a result of overtraining, stress, lack of sleep, a cold or virus or new medication.

* Heart Rate During Aerobic Activities: As you become more fit, your heart rate will decline at various workloads, and during vigorous activities, you will be able to maintain a higher heart rate. If your heart rate becomes higher than normal for the same workload, then you need to find out why (e.g., dehydration, medication, lack of recovery, temperature, humidity, etc.).

* Max Fat Burning: Most beginners find that their max fat burning is between 70 and 80 percent of their maximum heart rate. (In comparison, seasoned athletes usually have a threshold between 85 and 90 percent of maximum heart rate.) As your fitness increases, you will move your max fat burning closer to your maximum heart rate. Over time, you will also be able to sustain the intensity for a longer period. For example, someone just beginning an exercise program may be able to hold his or her max fat burning rate for 15 minutes, whereas a seasoned athlete will be able to hold his or hers for approximately 60 minutes. To raise your max fat burning rate, you need to overload your cardiovascular system by working out once or twice a week around and above this intensity. It could be in the form of a tempo workout, time trials or long intervals, where you work out vigorously for five minutes, then easily for two minutes and repeat the cycle several times.

* Maximum Heart Rate: A higher maximum heart rate does not indicate greater fitness, nor does a lower maximum heart rate represent less fitness. Your maximum heart rate remains relatively stable during your life when you maintain a regular training regimen. It also is sport specific. For example, maximum heart rate in swimming tends to be lower than cycling, cycling lower than running and running lower than cross country skiing. Maximum heart rate is largely dependent on the amount of muscle mass involved, your body position and supporting structure. If you’re involved in multiple activities, take the time to determine your maximum heart rate for each. It’s recommended that you assess it at least a couple of times each year.

* Recovery Heart Rate: Your heart will recover more quickly as you become more fit. A recovery heart rate of 25 to 30 beats in one minute is a good score, and 50 to 60 beats in one minute is considered excellent. You should monitor your one minute and two minute recovery heart rate at least twice weekly to gauge whether your fitness level is improving. If it’s not, then you may need to alter your workouts so they’re more demanding.

Of course, there is much more to heart rate training than running formulas. But understanding your personal numbers is the first step toward taking your fitness to the next level... and beyond!

References: Sally Edwards

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

"How You Can Use Your Heart Rate to Track Results"

"How You Can Use Your Heart Rate to Track Results"

Starting a fitness program is one thing. Sticking with it is something else. How often have you gone gung-ho into a regular workout routine only to have your enthusiasm zapped because you don’t feel like you are making any progress?
This kind of discouragement can quickly make you abandon your efforts. And once you’ve been on and off the fitness track a few times, finding the courage to start over again can be daunting.
Our society thrives on instant gratification. If we take the time to do something, we expect immediate results. However, fitness doesn’t work that way. It can take several months or more to see the results you crave.
This doesn’t mean your health is not improving along the way, of course. In fact, commit to a fitness routine, and you’ll begin to condition your body practically from the beginning, even if you don’t "see" its impact as clearly or as quickly as you might like.
One way to get an "inside peek" at the healthy changes occurring within your body is to monitor your heart rate before, during and after your workouts, as well as on rest days. That way you will have tangible proof that you are continuing to make steady progress.
Listen to Your Heart
There are different ways to monitor your heart rate during exercise and throughout the day. Heart rate can be taken via pulse — carotid (throat) or radial (wrist) — for a six, 10 or 15 second count, but this is subject to a high degree of error, especially as the intensity of activity increases. To guarantee an accurate count, we recommend using a heart rate monitor. It can play the role of a companion, cheerleader and personal trainer.
The first step is to set up a regular fitness routine that gets your blood pumping, whether it’s walking, running or participating in sports like basketball, tennis or rollerblading. If you are just starting out or returning to activity after a long absence, you will want to begin with just 15 minutes of low intensity activity, three days a week. Increase your time by 10 percent each week until you are comfortable with 60 minutes of activity on most days.
As you play or exercise, there are various ways you can measure your heart rate to see how your body is reacting and your fitness is improving. Here are a few suggestions.
Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
Get into a habit of taking your RHR when you first wake up in the morning. Active adults average an RHR between 60 and 80 beats per minute. Sedentary individuals can have a resting rate that exceeds 100 beats per minute. Top endurance athletes have reported a RHR of 25 to 40 beats per minute. A low RHR does not necessarily mean greater fitness, but it is relative to your physiology. Individuals just beginning a fitness program will often see a significant drop within the first few weeks.
Ambient Heart Rate
Take your heart rate when you are sitting and relaxed. This is called your ambient heart rate. Your ambient rate will usually be five to 10 beats higher than your RHR. As you become fitter, provided other variables are consistent, your ambient heart rate will decline, demonstrating that your cardiovascular system is becoming more efficient. If you’re just beginning an exercise program or increasing your training load, you will usually see a drop in your ambient rate within a few weeks.
Talking Heart Rate
Plot out a short 10 to 15 minute course in your neighborhood. Strap on your heart rate monitor and determine what heart rate you can maintain (walking or jogging) while carrying on a conversation with yourself, your dog or a friend. Your "talking heart rate" will gradually increase as your endurance improves. To accurately compare your results, try to keep the variables such as time of day, food intake, sleep and type of activity fairly consistent. It can be quite motivating to go from being comfortable talking and moving at a heart rate of 135 beats per minute to being comfortable talking and moving at a rate of 142 beats per minute. It’s also encouraging to see that what was once a 15 minute course now only takes 13 minutes.
Consistent Pace Assessment
For this, you will need a device that also measures your pace or speed. Some options include a personal electronic gadget (e.g., a speed and distance feature or an accelerometer), a speedometer on a bicycle or a mechanism built into a treadmill or other stationary cardio machine. Select the type of exercise and pace you can maintain comfortably for an extended period (i.e., 30 minutes or more). Perform the activity for 10 minutes at the selected pace and note your average heart rate. Over time (the course of a few weeks or so), you’ll find that you are able to maintain the same pace at an incrementally lower heart rate.
One Minute Active Recovery Heart Rate
During your regular workout, gradually increase the intensity level until your breathing is labored and talking becomes difficult. Maintain this intensity for two to three minutes. Then note your heart rate. Reduce the intensity to an extremely slow pace until there is no muscle tension and then record your heart rate after one minute. The more the count drops, the greater your fitness. The average one minute recovery rate for adults is 20 to 35 beats per minute. A drop of 45 beats in one minute is an indication of excellent cardio fitness. (Note: If you observe a one minute recovery heart rate of 13 beats or less in a minute, consult your doctor.) Get to know your one minute recovery heart rate in a variety of situations. For instance, it is normal for a recovery heart rate to be greater at the 15 minute mark of a workout (e.g., 30 beat drop) compared with after 50 minutes of a hard workout (e.g., 25 beat drop) when fatigue may have set in.
Caloric Count
Many heart rate monitors and a lot of exercise equipment include a caloric count expenditure estimate that can be recalled during or after a workout. Use this information to measure your workload (i.e., how much stress you placed on your body). As you become fitter, you will be able to increase your weekly training load. For example, you may begin at a weekly workload of 800 calories and, over the course of a few months, progress to a workload caloric expenditure of 1,500 to 2,000 per week. (Top athletes, in comparison, expend an average of 5,000 to 6,000 calories per week during intense physical training.) Be sure to progress gradually with no more than a 10 percent increase weekly. Note that this caloric count doesn’t indicate how many calories you have actually expended but rather represents an average. For example, if you just finished a workout and your heart rate monitor indicated that you had a workload of 470 calories, your actual number of calories burned could be anywhere from 330 to 800 calories. Still, you can be confident that a workout of 470 calories has placed twice as much stress on the body as a workout of 235.
Moving Target
When comparing your heart rate data from day to day or week to week, be aware that the rate is affected by many variables such as medications, stress, sleep, physical movement, temperature, dehydration, time of day, altitude, humidity, illness and food intake.
Also, don’t despair if you observe that your numbers seem to be moving in the wrong direction. Take some time to reflect and try to figure out why. Perhaps you have been operating on only four hours of sleep, your job is particularly stressful or new medications are affecting your heart rate.
Whatever the case, by measuring and monitoring your fitness progress on a regular basis, you will be better able to recognize your small successes and stay the course for a long and rewarding journey.

References: Sally Edwards

Forwarded By, Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For Your FREE Consultation Today! 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com

"How To Reduce Inflammatory Foods" - Part 2

"How To Reduce Inflammatory Foods" - Part 2


In Part 1 of this article series, I explained how eliminating foods that most commonly cause inflammation in the body will help your clients lose weight and tackle most health problems.

Now that you have asked your client to commit to the meal plan for 14 days, what do you do after this initial time period?

Most people who commit to the plan will see a five to 15 pound weight loss in the first 14 days. Approximately 80 percent of the time your client will ask to stay on the meal plan because they now feel so great and are seeing great results! They can stay on this plan until they have reached their goal weight and/or their health conditions have greatly improved.

For those clients who are ready to start bringing other foods back into their meal plans, the following foods can be added back in the order they are listed. Clients need to pay special attention to how they feel after bringing each food back into their meal plan. If previous symptoms come back or if weight loss plateaus, it may be too soon for the introduction of that particular food.

Brown Rice

Brown rice is one of the least inflammatory grains and is well tolerated by most people. It is best to stay away from “instant” rice as it has been heavily processed. There are now breads available that are made from brown rice and crackers and hot cereals as well. The following serving sizes can be added to your client’s Allowable Carbohydrates List:

* ½ cup cooked brown rice
* 1 slice brown rice bread
* 5 small brown rice crackers
* ½ cup cooked, hot rice cereal

For those clients who are still in a weight loss phase or are continuing to control symptoms of diabetes and/or heart disease, I keep their brown rice portion to one per day and choose fruits and vegetables as their carbohydrate choices for their other meals.

Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes

Since potatoes are technically a vegetable, your clients may have already incorporated these into their meal plans. Depending on the client, I may or may not set a limit on their servings of potatoes. Because they are a bit higher on the glycemic index than other vegetables, I tend to limit them for diabetics and those who are seeking to lose a good amount of weight. The glycemic index gives us an idea of how a certain food will affect a person’s blood sugar: if the food is high on the glycemic index, it will cause a quick and large rise in blood sugar. For those seeking to continue to lose weight or control their blood sugar, potatoes should be kept to the following servings.

* 4 oz sweet potato or white potato (sweet potatoes being lower on the glycemic index)

Potatoes can be added to the Allowable Carbohydrates List and should be kept to one serving per day.

Raw Cheeses

At this point in your clients’ meal plans, they are still not consuming any dairy products. People who can tolerate dairy products do really well on raw cheese (some people because of ethnicity and/or digestive problems do not feel well consuming dairy).

Buying cheese that is “raw” means that it has not been pasteurized or changed in form in any way. This is the best way to consume dairy and the best way to consume cheese (for more information on raw cheese and milk, go to www.realmilk.com).

Cheese is not a strong enough protein to be added to the Allowable Proteins list and eaten as a protein choice without being accompanied by another protein (a meat, fish or eggs). Cheese should be kept to the following servings:

* 1 ounce raw cheese (2 servings per day, maximum)

Remember, the body always knows best, and if a client begins suffering from digestive discomfort, fatigue or a plateau in weight loss, he or she may not do well on cheese and/or dairy products.

Raw Dairy

If your clients have continued to show great progress after the inclusion of raw cheese, they will most likely tolerate raw milk and raw milk products well. Because our society has been led to believe that raw dairy is dangerous, it is best to educate yourself and your client on the benefits of raw dairy and the dangers of pasteurized, homogenized dairy. The truth is the pasteurization process does not provide heat temperatures high enough to kill the dangerous pathogens in the milk, but the heat is high enough to kill off the necessary enzymes in the milk necessary for its digestion. So in essence, pasteurization will kill off the good and leave the bad, just the opposite of what we have been taught.

The topic and benefits of raw dairy have consumed numerous books and web sites, and I encourage you to provide this information to your clients.

Dairy can be added alongside another protein choice (as with cheese) in the following servings:

* ½ cup raw organic milk or cream
* ½ cup raw organic cottage cheese

Start your clients on no more than one serving of raw milk, cream or cottage cheese per day. If their health continues to improve, increase the number of servings.

Millet, Quinoa and Spelt

Similar to brown rice, millet, quinoa and spelt are grains that do not tend to cause inflammation in most people. These grains are gluten and wheat free and are well tolerated by most. There are now many breads, crackers and hot cereals that are made from the above mentioned grains and can be great additions to your clients Allowable Carbohydrates list. For those clients who are still in a weight loss phase or still in the process of control diabetes, hypertension and/or symptoms of heart disease, too many servings of grains can stop their progress. Assess your clients’ progress and determine if the addition of more servings of grains is appropriate for them and their current state of health. If they are doing very well, they may be able to tolerate more grains in their meal plans in the following servings:

* ½ cup cooked millet, quinoa, or spelt
* 1 slice spelt bread
* ½ cup cooked millet, quinoa or spelt hot cereal

To start, only allow two servings of grains per day (remember this already includes brown rice).

Ezekial bread and Ezekial based products

Ezekial bread belongs to the family of “sprouted grains” bread and is better tolerated by most people than regular “whole wheat” bread. In Paul Chek’s book How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!, he explains that the process of sprouting grains changes a grain’s composition in numerous ways to make it more beneficial as a food. It increases the content of vitamins and breaks down certain mineral blockers that make the bread much more digestible. Sprouting also breaks down the complex sugars responsible for intestinal gas, and considering how many Americans are suffering from indigestion, irritable bowl syndrome and constipation, this is extremely important.

If your clients continue to feel well, they may be able to incorporate one to two slices of Ezekial bread into their daily meal plan.

The above mentioned serving sizes are not set in stone and, of course, will be individual from client to client. It is your goal and the goal of your clients to let their bodies dictate which foods make them feel well and which foods make them feel lethargic, bloated and do not allow for weight loss to continue. This will be a learning process for both you and your client for some time, but the results will be phenomenal. It is our goal to help our clients create a meal plan that is realistic for them to maintain for a lifetime, so that they may enjoy and maintain their weight loss and a new level of health for a lifetime!

References:

1. Chek, Paul. How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!, San Diego, CA: CHEK Institute, 2004
2. De Los Rios, Isabel. The Diet Solution: Start Eating and Start Living. Florham Park, NJ: New Body, 2008.
3. Fallon, Sally, with Mary G. Enig. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, 2nd Edition. Washington, DC: New Trends, 2001.
4. Mercola, Joseph, with Alison Rose Levy. The No-Grain Diet: Conquer Carbohydrate Addiction and Stay Slim for the Rest of Your Life. New York, NY: Dutton, 2003.
5. Schmid, Ron ND. The Untold Story of Milk. Washington, DC: New Trends, 2003.
6. Isabel De Los Rios

Forwarded By Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call me For Your FREE Personal Training, & Nutritional Analysis, And Wellness Coaching session Worth $ 279.00 a Holiday Gift Free to You 1-800-681-9894 or e-mail fitnesselementsassociates@yahoo.com or WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

"How To Reduce Inflammatory Foods" - Part 1

Inflammatory Foods - Part 1

It would be safe to say that 90 percent of the clients we see are looking to lose weight and improve health. They want to change the way they look and feel. Usually, when people hire a trainer and/or nutritionist, it is because they are not happy with their health and weight and want to know exactly how to get results.

In my 10 years of working with clients, I've found the only way for clients to achieve great results is if they are following a sound nutritional program in combination with their exercise programs. No matter how detailed and perfect the exercise program, if the correct nutritional principles are not in place, clients will not see the results they want. I have had clients only follow their nutrition program without exercise, which resulted in dramatic fat loss and improved health. I also have had clients who followed their exercise programs but neglected their nutrition, and they saw NO results. Of course, a combination of the two is the ideal scenario, but the above statement serves to prove how the nutrition component is so very crucial.

Our clients want their nutrition programs to be easy yet effective. It has been my experience that the most successful clients have been those who I told exactly what to do and why they were doing it. Yes, I do agree that we can not just hand our clients “cookie cutter” nutrition programs, but in reality, our clients need to see results, or they will lose interest and motivation. It is our job to make their nutrition programs easy to follow, effective, healthy and realistic and a learning experience, all at the same time.

So how do we put together such a nutrition program? The simple solution to most health and weight concerns is to reduce the inflammation in their bodies. In my work with clients, I have found that almost every single one is suffering from a health condition or not losing weight because of inflammation. I would argue that every person who is overweight, obese or suffering from a health condition can be helped if inflammation was decreased with the foods they eat.

So, as far as a nutrition program is concerned, it should be our goal to give our clients an easy to follow, healthy, realistic program that will decrease inflammation in the body to result in dramatic fat loss and increased health.

First, what is inflammation? Inflammation is your immune system’s response to infection or irritation in the body. We have all experienced the inflammation that occurs on our skin in response to a cut, infection or injury. This kind of inflammation is visible. Likewise, your internal body systems will respond to infectious and irritating foods with inflammation. This kind of inflammation is not as visible, but it makes itself apparent through diseases such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and obesity.

The results of reducing inflammatory foods in our clients' nutrition plans proves nothing but extraordinary results. I have witnessed this over and over again with my own clients. But the difficulty becomes providing an easy to understand nutritional program that clients can follow.

The following approach will make it easy for your clients to learn exactly which foods they can eat and which foods to avoid. It is also important that you explain to them exactly why they are avoiding certain foods. Some clients are like children: if they understand the “why,” they are more apt to follow instructions.

If you do not feel qualified to give nutritional information to your clients, give them the lists below and ask them to take them to their doctor or qualified health professional. Most doctors would agree that the following foods have incredible benefits.

I have taken the following approach with clients with much success:

1. First, explain that their condition (diabetes, arthritis, chronic pain, obesity/difficulty losing weight) may be a result of inflammation in their body. To help illustrate this, say, "The same inflammation you experience on your skin as a result of an irritant occurs inside your body in response to irritating foods.”

2. In order to find exactly which foods may be irritating, they must eliminate all possible culprits for 14 days. Almost every client can agree to 14 days. And after they have seen dramatic results in just two weeks, they are now more inclined to stick with the program!

3. Instead of giving clients a long list of foods they can’t eat, give them a list of all the foods they can eat. (Better to start on a positive note!) For every meal they eat, they must choose one food from the A column and one from the B column.

* A. Proteins
o Whole Organic Eggs
o Free Range Chicken, Duck, Pheasant (white and dark meat)
o Free Range Turkey (white and dark meat)
o Grass Fed Beef, Buffalo, Lamb, Venison
o All Wild fish (no canned tuna)
o Raw almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, filberts, pecans, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds
o Raw Nut Butters from the above mentioned nuts

* B. Fruits and Vegetables
o All vegetables (except for Iceberg Lettuce and Corn)
o All fruits (except for dried or canned)

* Can be used at each meal:
o Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (preferably raw)
o Butter (no margarine or any other fake butter)
o Coconut Oil (Organic, Extra Virgin)

* Unlimited:
o All Spices
o Only Celtic Sea Salt (no other salt is permitted)
o Stevia (as a sweetener)
o Herbal Teas

4. It is helpful to provide clients the menu for a sample day, so they have a basic idea of how to put these foods together:

* Breakfast:
o 3 organic eggs, spinach and peppers, cooked in butter or coconut oil
o 1 banana
* Snack:
o 1 green apple
o 2 TBSP Raw Almond Butter
* Lunch:
o 5 oz Salmon
o Over large salad (Romaine Lettuce, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Celery)
o 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Lemon Juice
o Strawberries or Blueberries
* Snack:
o 2 TBSP Raw Walnut Butter
o Baby Carrots
* Dinner:
o Chicken Legs
o Sautéed Broccoli cooked in butter
o Large green salad with Olive Oil and Lemon dressing

5. Depending on the client, you might want to give them some portion guidelines, but it's usually not necessary. Our clients are not overeating on vegetables and proteins. They are overeating on starches and sugary foods.

6. Give the golden rule of, “If it doesn’t make you feel good, don’t eat it!” It's that simple.

Now that your clients have seen they have a large variety of foods from which to choose, you provide the inflammatory foods lists (below) so they will know what they need to avoid.

Inflammatory Foods

1. Wheat, Gluten and Grains - This is where clients will say to me, “But I eat whole wheat bread instead of white.” Regardless, the human body was not designed to eat the breads we have in this country today. Just a quick glance at the health condition of our population and the amount of breads, cereals and grains we all consume, and it's quite obvious that it is a poor choice for most of us. Whereas five years ago, it may have been more difficult to explain to clients to stay away from wheat and grains (bread, pastas, cereal, crackers), most of them now know how harmful it is to their health.

2. Dairy - This is where clients will say to me, “But I drink skim milk instead of whole.” or “Where will I get my calcium from?” Regardless of the variety of milk they consume, dairy in this country is not in the form nature intended. Because of pasteurization, the high heat kills off all the necessary enzymes in the milk that we need to digest (thus the high prevalence of lactose intolerance and irritable bowl syndrome in this country). You can argue pasteurization is necessary to kill off bacteria, but in reality, the high heat temperatures of pasteurization are actually not high enough to kill off the pathogens most people are worried about. So this practice kills off the good and leaves the bad. You can also assure your clients that they will absorb more calcium from green leafy vegetables than any amount of milk they can consume. When I take clients off of dairy, the results are phenomenal. Once they have seen a significant amount of weight loss and improvement in health, I talk to them about incorporating raw dairy into their meal plan. If they are not open to it, then dairy is not an option.

3. Sugar and foods containing sugar - Sugar, by far, is one of the most abused drugs in this country (and yes, I did call it a drug). It causes everything from rotting teeth to diabetes to most cancers. Even if your clients are not candy or dessert eaters, make them aware of the sugar content in most of their foods. If they were to total up the amount of sugar from their daily juices, sodas, processed foods and dressings, it could add up to 20 teaspoons of sugar a day! Teach your clients that any word ending in "-ose" on a package usually means sugar (i.e., sucrose, maltose, glucose).

4. Artificial Sweeteners and Packaged Foods - If they can’t pronounce it, they are not allowed to eat it. So NO diet foods of any type (Jell-O, Diet Coke, frozen dinners, etc.).

At this point, you may be asking yourself, “How will I get my clients to agree to this?” You ask them, “Do you want to feel better? I know exactly how to help you feel better. You can either follow this nutrition plan and feel great, or you can stay where you are.” They hired you for your expertise and to help them get results, not to negotiate with them.

In Part 2 of this article series, I will list the most common questions I get from clients during this two week period and exactly how I transition them out of this preliminary phase.

References:

1. Chek, Paul. How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy. San Diego, CA: CHEK Institute, 2004.
2. De Los Rios, Isabel. The Diet Solution: Start Eating and Start Living. Florham Park, NJ: New Body, 2008.
3. Fallon, Sally, with Mary G. Enig. Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, 2nd Edition. Washington, DC: New Trends, 2001.
4. Mercola, Joseph, with Alison Rose Levy. The No-Grain Diet: Conquer Carbohydrate Addiction and Stay Slim for the Rest of Your Life. New York, NY: Dutton, 2003.
5. Isabel De Los Rios

Forwarded, By Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker

Call Me For A FREE Personal Training Consultation, Nutritional Analysis, or Wellness Coaching Session 1-800-681-9894 or visit WWW.MyFitnessElements.com

"Call The Diet Doctor's"

Warning: The single biggest mistake people make when going on a weight-loss program is the prior planning and investigating of hiring the right person for the job. Deciding to make a clear decision and committing to Lifestyles changes isn't easy and requires Hard Work, Focus and Planning. You make sure this individual is 100 % committed to You as You are to them before jumping in to just any program. How do I know this because I've been where you are and the last thing you need is someone who doesn't Care!

ACT NOW FOR LIFE CHANGING RESULTS & LET AN EXPERT & FITNESS COACH GUIDE & ADVISE YOU!

YOU are the only one stopping YOU from having Real Breakthroughs in your weight-loss Success!

The truth is I felt the very same way and worked hard to crack the code myself, made progress but couldn't quite get it. Eventually, I found a Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and Fitness Coach like myself and that single decision to say Yes, Yes, Yes and take Decisive Action made all the difference in the world!

If You want someone who understands what You are going through, Brag on You when You have Your Successes & Victories, to stand by You and encourage You in toughtimes then I am Your Solution!

The Diet Doctors will throw out all the food You shouldn't eat, Re- Stock your house with what you should eat... Go with you to lunch and enforce diet... Check with you by phone and quiz you on what you are eating, and check with your Spouse, Housekeeper, Secretary, and even the Resturants You frequently eat at to keep you from cheating. You need a Diet Doctor To Keep You Committed To Filling Your Subscription!

We All Need advice, guidance, coaching, and sometimes, somebody to tell us what to do. I know I did and thats why I Conquered my on going Battle with weight years ago.

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Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutrition Expert, Author, Speaker

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Weight Loss

Myth #1: Dieting Will Help You Lose Weight and Make You Healthy

Apple and scale


Every day we are bombarded with medical garbage. It comes from all sources — maybe even your doctor. There are also medical myths that have been passed on from one generation to the next — unfortunately, no one has looked carefully at where the information started and whether it is in fact valid or not.

In the following weeks, I would like to explore five of those myths and raise some questions. Hopefully, you will begin to think about them (and others) more critically…

I hate budgets and I hate diets. I think I hate them for the same reason — they make me want all the things I can’t have even more. Have you ever noticed that the word DIET is a four letter word and that the first three letters are DIE?! That’s how I feel about dieting. So many times we go to the doctor and he/she says “Well you are overweight and you need to start on a diet”. Unfortunately, many health professionals do not know exactly what this means — it is also the wrong approach to take to lose weight.

Instead of going on a diet, why not change the way you look at food and the way you approach your health? Why not change your reality and realize that food is nutrition that is good for the body as long as it’s the right kind and eaten in moderation? Food is not the enemy — choosing the wrong foods and overeating is the enemy.

A major problem started with flawed research that was then capitalized upon by food manufacturers. In the 1970s and 80s, it was erroneously determined that our high fat diet was making us all fat.1 Food manufacturers quickly caught on and soon every product had a label that said “low fat”. Unfortunately, we replaced the fat with sugar. As we all ate our low fat diets, the entire country got fatter.

A variation on the theme is being seen now with carbs. Everyone wants to be on a low carb diet. So now everything at the grocery store is advertised as “low carb”. Once again, most people have no idea what this means. There is more than one type of carbohydrate and not all carbs are bad.

Natural plant fiber is made from carbohydrates. Fruits are carbohydrates but should not be considered the same as carbohydrates from a doughnut. If we only look at the carb count, once again we will be led down the wrong path due to creative advertising.

So what are we to do? How can we figure all this out? I have two simple recommendations that will help. First get back to nature. I do not mean move to the mountains (although that does sound nice) — but start eating natural foods. Think of it this way — if you can’t catch it or pick it, don’t eat it. If you follow this rule, you can have all the fish, fresh meats, vegetables, and fruits you want.

In fact, if your diet consisted of just these foods, you would never be fat. As I write this, I am at a scuba diving resort in Borneo, Malaysia. This island does not have an overweight person on it. Why? Because they only eat what they can catch or pick. They have a natural high protein, low carb diet.

Second, if you are going to eat processed foods, always check the label. You will find protein content in grams, fat in grams, and carbohydrates in grams. Under carbohydrates it will list sugar in grams. If the grams of sugar are higher than 10 (8 if you want to be strict), put it back and choose something else.

You will be amazed at what does and does not have sugar once you start looking. Remember, it is not simply the fat or carbohydrates — as it turns out, the problem is the amount of sugar it contains.

Finally, I have an 85/15 rule. If you eat like I just showed you 85% of the time, you can eat what you like the other 15%. Food is energy — it is good for you. Choose the right foods and they will keep you healthy. Choose the wrong foods and they will make you ill. You are in fact what you eat.

Reference

1. http://weightoftheevidence.blogspot.com/2008/02/dr-jamie-bailes-fat-free-fallacy.html

2. By Dr. Tim Reynolds

Forwarded By Natalie Pyles

Fitness & Nutrition Expert, Author, & Speaker

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" How To Apply Committment And Consistency Strategies For Long Lasting Healthy Lifestyle Change"

" How To Apply Committment And Consistency Strategies For Long Lasting Healthy Lifestyle Change"

By, Natalie Pyles

It Is easier to resist at the beginning then at the end. - Leonardo DA Vinci

The evidence is quite clear. A study done by a pair of Canadian psychologist (Knox & Inkster 1968) uncovered something delightful about people at the race track: just after placing their bets they are much more confident of their horses chances of winning than they are immediately before laying down the bets. Of course, nothing about the horses chances actually shifts: it's the same horse, on the same track, in the same field; but in the minds of those bettors, its prospects improve significantly once that ticket is purchased. Although, a bit puzzling at first glance, the reason for these dramatic ambitions has to do with a common weapon of social influence. Like the other weapons of influence, this one lies deep within us, direction, our actions and behaviors with quite power. It is, quite simply, our desire to be ( and to appear) consistent with what we have already done. Once we decide, make a choice, or take a stand, we will encounter personal and interpersonal pressures to behave consistently with that committment. Those pressures will cause us to respond in ways that justify our earlier decision. We simply convince ourselves that we have made the right choice and , no doubt, feel better about our decision (Fazio, Blascovich, & Driscoll 1992).

Consider the story of Brenda F. one of my long time clients. Let's examine her story of a constant battle of Lupus and Chronic Fatigue. Brenda is a 34 year old mother of two, wife, and Corporate attorney for Intel Corporation. When Brenda came to me she was very depressed and discouraged about her situation. Brenda was constantly tired, fatigued, low levels of energy, and had serious doubts about getting healthier, feeling better, and even accomplishing her fitness goals of running 3, 6, and even 12 miles again. Things were on a rapid downward spiral for her health and lifestyle. Brenda felt affected in all areas of her Wellness mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional. Brenda F. had a breakthrough moment of taking action, being proactive, and deciding to call for help a Health & Fitness Expert. So after choosing to make that call and deciding on another alternative Brenda F. became happier and healthier within a month.

Indeed, we all fool ourselves from time to time in order to keep our thoughts and beliefs consistent with what we have already done or decided (Conway & Ross, 1984: Goethals & Reckman, 1973; Roanfeld, Kennedy, & Giacalone, 1986). For instance, immediatley after casting a ballet , voters believe more strongly that their candidate will win (Regan & Kildreff, 1988).

The power of consistency should be applied as a life long principle to direct human action. To understand why consistency is so powerful a motive, we should recognize that in most circumstances, consistency is valued and adaptive. Inconsistency is commonly thought to be an undesirable personality trait.

Lastly, the moment we realize that the power of consistency is formidable in directing human action an important practicle question immediatley arises: How is that force engaged? What produces the click that activates the whirr of the powerful consistency tape? Social- psychologists think they know the answer: Committment. If I can get you to make a committment (that is , to take a stand, to go on record). Once a stand is taken, a decision is made, there is a natural tendency to behave in ways that are stubbornly consistent with the stand, let these two powerful and meaningful words be a new way of life for us all on our health and fitness lifestyle journey.

References:

Knox & Inkster, 1968, Fazio, Blascovich, & Driscoll, 1992, Conway & Ross, 1984: Goethals & Reckman, 1973; Roanfeld, Kennedy, & Giacalone, 1986, Regan & Kildreff 1988, & Robert Cialdini.


Fitness & Nutritional Expert, Author, Speaker,

Natalie Pyles