Monthly Archives: April 2010

It’s Life or death, drop the excuses!

A friend of mine, sent me a message on Twitter, (thanks @JoAnneWallace),  pointing me to Global News Toronto’s Mark McAllister (@MarkMcAllGlobal) who reported on a story about a health crisis that is griping Toronto.  And lets be realistic, it goes way beyond Toronto.

Approximately 60% of Toronotonians are listed as “inactive” and the numbers are even greater within immigrants.  There were several reasons that had been indicated in the story as possible factors for the alarming numbers.  Time, money, lack of access and more blah, blah, blah.

I’m sorry, but people, this is your health we’re talking about.  This is quality of life; quantity of life, mobility, function and honestly, this is life and death.

Obesity is on the rise at an incredible rate in all age groups and across the gender barrier.  Women are seeing rates of heart disease, stroke and diabetes at rates that were once reserved for only men.  Children are increasingly at risk of developing a lifestyle of sedentary behaviour, diabetes and for the first time in history it is anticipated that their life expectancy is going to be shorter than the lives of their parents.

Technology is making our lives faster and more convenient in everything we do.  Communication, schedules, meetings, networking, are all benefiting from the speed of smart phones, wi-fi, 3G are benefiting everything…except fitness.

Make excuses all you want.  Access to a facility…hmmm, how about the great outdoors!! It can be accessed everywhere you go. It’s free and it’s available when you are.

Walking to running, body weight to dumbbells, single or group, hills to valleys, pavement to sand.  Mother nature with some human help has given you as many, if not more options outdoors than stale gyms ever could.  Rain, snow, wind?  I could tell you all about metabolism and how inclement weather can turbo charge your workouts.  But I could also tell you how to take your exercise indoors to your kitchen.

A simple hill walk can make a difference

There are so many options available…a little education, a little commitment and a little bit more effort can be a huge difference in your health, happiness and life.

Time, money, lack of access?  You won’t have to worry about those when your dead either.

See Mark’s report here.

So tell me. What’s holding you back from taking charge of your health. Let me know.  Are there any obstacles keeping you from improving your life?

All Supplements are NOT Created Equal

Full Disclosure

Today’s post is supported by an article from Dr.Oz, some of which is included at the end of this post.  I will include the link for the entire article at the bottom.  There is also a very special offer in this post.

Ever since I turned my life around from the “Former Fat Girl Days” I have understood the importance of dietary supplementation.  There are six main nutritional components that your body requires.  Protein, fat, carbohydrates, water, vitamins and minerals.  Each has a role in both basic nutrition and system function.  For example, a carbohydrate comes in many forms that equate to energy while the Glucose part of carbs feeds the brain…yes, that is why Carbs are NOT the enemy.

There are many reasons why you should, and in some cases need, to take supplements.  But knowing which ones, how much, what combinations, etc, etc can be mind-boggling.  I’m not going to try to tell you I have all the answers but I can tell you what you need to look for and well, as I found out today….DR.OZ agrees with me!!

There are times when you want specific supplements like Folic Acid and Iron when you are pregnant or extra calcium when you are recovering from breaking a bone or diagnosed with Osteoporosis.  Likewise, there are times you need to avoid some supplements at other times like Vitamin K when you are taking a prescribed blood thinner.

There are very few government guidelines or rules for supplement manufacturers can be so perverted that a clever label can allow for many ingredients not to be listed that you may not want.

I became so frustrated when I was looking for a great protein supplement that I gave up on the “Cake Mix” Brands that are sold in ‘reputable’ supplement stores and formulated my own!  That was the only way that I could guarantee the ingredients, the label integrity and the purity of what it is…a great tasting, nutritionally sound protein supplement.  Here are the benefits you get with Health and Fitness Systems Protein Powder.

The BEST Protein Supplement

No Bloat, Feel Great – Unlike most protein powders which leave you bloated, constipated and with an upset stomach – Health and Fitness Systems Protein– works with your body to break down amino acids and sugars for superior absorption and digestion.

Burn More Calories – Each serving of Health and Fitness Systems Protein contains 22 grams of high quality metabolism boosting proteins.

Feel full Longer – Unlike cheap bulk protein powders, the superior purification process of Health and Fitness Systems Protein results in the preservation of glycomacropeptides, which have been shown in scientific studies to signal your brain that you are full. This makes it easier to eat less and lose weight.

Mixes Instantly – Just add water for a fast and creamy shake that you’ll look forward to each and every day.

Instant Energy!  Kick your Red Bull habit

Email me: info@georgetownfitnessbootcamp.com with the code “Try Before You Buy” in the subject line and I’ll send you a free sample of Health and Fitness Systems Protein. No one else will do that!

Here’s the Dr. Oz highlights.

Dietary supplements encompass a wide range of products that includes vitamins and minerals, herbal products, amino acids, tissue extracts and other compounds.  Many dietary supplements – which I’ll refer to as supplements – are extremely helpful in preventing illness; for example, folic acid can prevent birth defects, and calcium and vitamin D can prevent fractures.

However, not all supplements are effective.  There are tens of thousands of supplements sold in the US, and while some are very effective, many are not.  Even worse, some might actually cause more harm than good.  Little is known about the safety of supplements, because Congress requires that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) assume that all supplements are harmless until proven otherwise.  Because the government does not ensure supplement safety, it’s especially important that consumers are careful when purchasing supplements.

Here I’ll summarize some of the most important safety concerns with supplements and then provide advice for selecting supplements safely.

Manufactures of supplements do not need to prove that their supplement is effective before selling it.

Manufactures of supplements do not need to inform consumers about side effects even when the ingredients are known to cause side effects.

Little is known about the health effects of combination herbal supplements.

The amount of ingredients listed on labels is often inaccurate.

Contaminants have been found in many supplementsespecially those sold over the Internet.

Here are 8 tips for safe use of supplements:

  1. The best way to use supplements safely is to avoid supplements you don’t need. Use supplements only if you have reliable information that the ingredient(s) will benefit you.  Accurate information can be found at the National Institute of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
  2. Select supplements with only the ingredient(s) that you need.  If you need vitamin D then select a supplement that only contains vitamin D.
  3. Avoid supplements with more than one herbal ingredient.  It is very difficult to determine the effect that multiple herbs will have on your health.
  4. If you take prescription medications or have health conditions, ask your physician if the supplement you are considering is safe for you.
  5. Avoid supplements that are sold to treat an illness, for example supplements sold to treat diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.  These supplements are more likely to be contaminated with prescription medications.
  6. Avoid supplements that claim to help you lose weight or improve sexual or athletic performance.  These supplements may not only be contaminated with prescription medicines but also with dangerous analogs.
  7. Purchase supplements in retail stores rather than over the Internet.
  8. If you experience a side effect from a supplement:

By carefully selecting and using supplements, you can obtain the most benefit from supplements while minimizing the chances of serious side effects.

Here is the link to the full article:

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/hidden-dangers-dietary-supplement

9 Tips for Today

1. Get with a Group

Group mentality can change behaviour because of the encouragement and support that develops.  Studies have shown that group exercise can give you 40% faster results.

2. Consider the Source

Who are you taking your advice and or support from? I have heard so many clients tell me that, “So and so from accounting told me that doing A, B and C is guaranteed to help lose weight.”  I later find out So and So from accounting is as big as an SUV and is trying her 14th stint with Dr. Jenny Watcher.

I’ve lost over 200 pounds between two pregnancies and my original teenage weight loss.  I have committed almost twenty years of my life to health and fitness.  Take advice only from fitness professionals or those people that have the ‘fruit on the tree’.

3. The scale is your enemy

A scale is only a measurement of the effect of gravity on you at that given moment.  You can drive yourself crazy trying to gauge results by the scale.  I weigh my clients in the beginning of our relationship, if they want or if we are doing a contest.  At a specified time in the future is the next time they are allowed to look at a scale.  We don’t need to know their weight in between.  There are far better ways to determine success.

4. Surround yourself with winners

One of the key qualities of successful people is that they avoid negative people and they spend their time surrounded by people who have already achieved what they are after. If your goal is to weigh 130 pounds  – then seek out others who already live a healthy lifestyle and weigh 130 pounds. Spending time with people who only talk about being healthy while eating deep-fried Twinkies really won’t help you get where you want to go.  Boot Campers do it best with each other because they feed each others positive energy and support.

5. Know where you are going

Write down your goals whatever they are.  “I want to lose 20 pounds, I want to lose 15 inches, I want to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.” Be specific, don’t just say, “I want to lose weight.”  Once you write down your goal, put a realistic date on it.  Every time you are faced with a tough food decision or don’t want to exercise, compare your choices to the goal your are reaching for…are they in line?

6. Increase you water intake.

Water is key. Water improves everything that you are working for right now…more youthful looking skin, smoother body, resistance to disease and germs, cleans out your cells and tissues, improves healing and recuperation times..and on and on.  Water also assists in moving out fat and delivering nutrients to your cells.

7. Chose wisely where you get your calories.

Processed, sugary, refined foods give you lots of calories without any substance.  It takes nothing for your body to intake and digest them, while a complex carbohydrate, chicken breast or leafy greens require your body to work to break down and absorb.  We call these foods thermogenic and they aid greatly in weight loss.

8. Eat all day long.

Don’t ever give your body a chance to cool down while you are awake.  From within an hour of waking up you should have food in your belly all day.  That means 5 to 6 meals per day..not just the normal 3 three or the realistic two.  All 5 to 6 meals should include the six required nutrients. (Protein, Carbohydrate, Fat, Water, Micro and Macro).  If you never let the furnace cool down, it is always burning at a high efficiency.

9. Never give up

So many people have a set back by giving into an urge for the forbidden foods.  Then they feel bad so they turn to the bad foods to feed their depression and so the cycle for failure begins.  If you have a bump on the road to your goals, just reset yourself and aim

for your goal again (and avoid falling off the wagon again.)

Quitters never win and winners never quit.

What do you think? Is there anything that you have done to fuel your success?  Let us know.

Eating Healthy is Child’s Play

My mini Boot Camp Boy starts his day off right.  You can too!  He is busting your excuse for not having time for great morning nutrition.  He takes less time to make his protein shake than it will take you to go through the morning drive thru to get your double trouble coffee and crap!!

The Best Health and Fitness Top Ten EVER!!!

1. Set Your Goals

There is an old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there.” This holds true with health and fitness. It doesn’t matter what your goal is; weight loss, look better, eat healthier, run faster. You have to write it down and ensure that all your choices are aligned with your goal. What’s your goal? Post it on the blog, Tweet it, let me know.

2. Sleep

Your body renews itself while you sleep. It’s called the four R’s; Repair, recover, recuperate, remove. Repair damaged tissue, recover from stressors, recuperate from all functions of movement, removal of waste products from cells.  There is no badge of honour for only getting a few hours of sleep a night.  It will only age you and make you look tired.

3. Eat

Ever try to start your car without turning the key? It’s the same with your body. No matter how expensive, cool or flashy your car is, it doesn’t do anything without the key and with health and fitness food is the key, but it also has to be the right key, so choose the right foods.

4. No to Restaurants

Studies have shown that people who eat out consume over 30% more calories in each meal. Ever watch any of the popular cooking shows? Salt, season, sauce and sauté. They don’t even let you taste food…you taste everything else.  When you prepare the food, you control the portion and the food factor.  When was the last time you really got to taste the food in a restaurant?

5. Journal the Journey

I always ask my clients to do this. Part of it is for me to see what you are doing to make adjustments to their nutrition and exercise programs, but it is also so that they can see for themselves what they are putting into their bodies.  Most people never actually realize what they eat in a day until they see it on paper.

6. Consider the Carbs

Carbs ARE NOT the enemy! So lets put that to bed right now.  But, depending what your goals are you have to consider them. Looking for a kick-start for weight loss? Consider this; for every gram of carbs stored in your body, 3 grams of water are stored. By dropping the carbs you can easily lose 4‐5 pounds of water weight within a few days. Carbs are necessary for many body functions…they are an essential nutrient so you cannot cut them out completely.  I LOVE carbs…fibrous carbs, non-processed carbs like sweet potato which is also starchy carb.

7. Fluids

Start with water and include green tea. Non-caloric, no sugar. Make your fluid choices as close to water as you can.  That means NO alcohol. No juice or milk either. Liquid calories add up fast and are mostly comprised of sugars which convert and store perfectly as fat so you are best off to leave them off your list.

8. Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy

Fish are great for delivering essential fat (Omega 3-6-9) into your body, but too much has shown in studies to be harmful if you are getting some of the stuff you don’t want like mercury.  Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel, Haddock, Snapper are good options. If you want to supplement take fish oil capsules.  BONUS some can increase your metabolism by 400 calories per day. Aim for 5‐6g of EPA/DHA per day.

9. I Like to Move it, Move It, Move It

You can have everything else right and have some success.  That’s IF, you have everything else right.  Movement is the catalyst for weight loss, the fire in the furnace of fat burning and what you HAVE to do turn back the clock of aging.  Something as simple as stairs over the elevator or getting off your bus one stop sooner, every little bit of increased movement adds up.

10. Resistance Training

This is the icing on the cake, sorry. This is the flax seed in your 5-grain pancake mix! Where does fat get removed from your body…muscles.  What supports your skeleton…muscle.  What gives you defining form…muscle.  Taking care of your muscles by making them work turbo charges everything else you do and is the kicker into high gear!

11. Supplementation

BONUS point…taking a high quality multi vitamin, vitamin D with Calcium/Magnesium, DHA Omega 3. These have been my mainstays for 10 years.

Lean Protein Choices

I believe that everyday it is important for you to learn something.  I’m lucky.  I learn several things everyday and today was no different.  Today’s biggest lesson was from readers of this blog.  Many readers sent me some questions and others let me know about their experiences with yesterday’s post. (Are you Toxic).  Thanks for sharing, but “T”, there is such a thing as too much information. There are some things you shouldn’t tell your personal trainer!!

But the most popular comments were about the point, “Three high quality, lean meat proteins per day”, wondering what I consider good options.  Great question…there are only so many days a week you can eat chicken.

The lesson I learned form all this…sometimes you can be too close to something to see the obvious.  It’s obvious to me what the options are because I’m living those options daily.  When I think lean protein, I can think of 30 different things I would consider eating…don’t we all?  So here is me stepping back and letting you all in on my eating options for lean meat proteins, and a few other bonus choices.

Beef

  • Extra Lean Ground Beef
  • Eye of the round roast
  • Flank Steak
  • Strip and Sirloin Steak
  • Bison

Poultry

  • Chicken breast(skinless)
  • Turkey breast
  • Lean ground turkey

Fish

  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Scallops
  • Shrimp
  • Whitefish

Pork

  • Pork chop
  • Pork loin or tenderloin
  • Ground pork
  • Back Bacon (Peameal or Canadian Bacon)

Eggs and Dairy

  • Egg
  • Greek Yogurt
  • Cottage cheese
  • Yogurt(plain)
  • Goat Cheese

Beans (including soy) I personally do not eat soy based on the conflicting information that I find. This is an individual choice and if you choose to eat soy, just make sure it is not processed….go for organic, fermented soy like tempeh and miso.

  • Soy milk
  • Most beans (black, pinto, lentils, etc)
  • Soy beans
  • Split peas

Nuts and Seeds

  • Peanut butter(natural)
  • Almonds + almond butter
  • Walnuts
  • Peanuts
  • Pecans
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Flax seeds – ¼ cup – 8 grams

Protein Supplement

  • Health and Fitness Systems Why Protein

(Full Disclosure – it is the best! If I was selling it to the big name stores to carry on their shelves the price point would be very high because of it’s great taste, high quality ingredients and nutritional breakdown)

Now go eat!

Do you have any favourites that you want to share? Let me know, or if you are worried about a recipe that you love, but are concerned with its nutritional value send it to me.

Subliminal Message - Eat Salmon

Are you Toxic?

It really isn’t fair that the last couple of posts have been about telling you what you should avoid or minimize in your diet. (Remember diet means the nutrition you intake in the form of food, supplements and water…not the removal of foods you eat.)

So to be fair, here is a post not about what you need to avoid, but instead how you can clean the junk out of your body….DETOXIFICATION!!

I know what you’re thinking “Woo hoo.  Carrie’s going to talk about bodily functions…I think I’ll leave now.”  If you know anything about me, you know that is a road I’m not going down.

A lot of people have a preconceived notion about detoxing.  But I’ve noticed that not too many really know what it’s all about.  You take some pills, some powders, some potions, go to the bathroom for a week and, “TA DA” 20 less pounds of rotting meat gone from your bowels.  What you just read is called marketing, sales copy or smoke and mirrors.  It doesn’t happen like that and have you ever noticed the disclaimer, “Results may vary.” That is about the most honest part of those infomercials.

Detoxing is so much more than that and here is the surprise…it can’t truly be done!!!

Breathing? You are creating toxins. Moving? You are creating toxins.  Alive? You are creating toxins.  You are a carbon based life form.  Everything you do creates a toxin within you one way or another.

Sure, you can be sold on expensive products that claim to detoxify you.  You can try all sorts of potions that make promises that just can’t be kept, OR, you can make some sensible choices, that are good, good for you, easy on your wallet and can be easily integrated into your life.

The Fabulous Five Steps to Cleaner Living

  1. Pump up the morning coffee by drinking a cup of green tea before or after it.  Make your tea and coffee with distilled water.  Repeat the tea 3 times per day.
  2. Make all your snacks in the raw…no not that kind of raw…without cooking them.  Veggies, fruits, nuts, lentils, etc – unprocessed, organic and colourful.
  3. One meal of your day should be a large leafy salad.  Spinach, broccoli, kale, with sprouts, berries, fruit, etc.
  4. Three high quality, lean meat proteins per day with a supplement of a protein shake. (Insert product placement here) Health and Fitness Systems Protein, formulated by and only available from ME!!
  5. Water, water, water.  One glass of water every time you eat.  Thats 3 snacks and 3 meals = 6 glasses, (normal size…not one liter jugs or gallon mugs)

That’s it! Pretty simple right?

Anyone can handle that. You will lose weight, clean tissues and feel better…ok and yes, you will spend quality time in your bathroom!

These last few reminders really go without saying, but I’ll say them.

Reduce: Sugar, processed carbs, unhealthy fat

Eliminate: Alcohol, Tobacco, Stress

When you do the Fabulous Five and compliment that with Boot Camp or sensible exercise, I will guarantee your results.  The more committed you are, the greater the results are that you will experience.

Have you ever tried a Detox Program.  Were the results all that you were told they will be?  Let me know, I’d love to hear about the experiences.

Clean and clear!

Quit your “Wine”-ing

Here is a regular statement that I hear from my new clients. My new clients, because the my seasoned clients don’t make this mistake twice.

“Hey Carrie, I’m not losing any weight.  I don’t understand why.  I exercise, I watch what I eat and I get lots of sleep.”

Hmmm, lets see which question I ask next.

1.) Did you cheat on your nutrition plan?

2.) Are you over doing the cardio?

3.) How much did you have to drink this week?

And the answer is?  That’s right…door number three!!

“But it was only a couple glasses of wine (bottles of beer, cocktails)” Choose your poison.

So. let the education begin.

Wine (or any alcohol for that matter) wipes out your fat burning workout.

Not only does alcohol add unneeded calories, but it also inhibits your ability to burn fat. Alcohol is metabolized in the liver and converted into a substance called acetate. When we consume alcohol, our acetate levels rise and our bodies then burn acetate as fuel instead of burning the fat we are trying to lose. So alcohol not only adds empty calories, but also hampers the normal fat-burning processes.

Think about it like a car.  A car engine typically uses only one source of fuel. Don’t even start on me about Hybrids…this is my soapbox!  Your body, on the other hand, draws from a number of different energy sources, such as carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. To a certain extent, the source of fuel your body uses is dictated by its availability.

In other words, your body tends to use whatever you feed it, but most importantly what it can use the easiest. Consequently, when acetate levels rise, your body simply burns more acetate, and less fat. In essence, acetate pushes fat to the back of the queue. Why? Another name for acetate in a round about way is SUGAR!

So here’s what happens to fat metabolism after the odd “drink or two”. (Add 3 or 4 for honesty sake)

  • A small portion of the alcohol is converted into fat.
  • Your liver then converts most of the alcohol into acetate.
  • The acetate is then released into your bloodstream, and replaces fat as a source of fuel.

So, in summary.  The reason you don’t seem to be losing any weight is because you are sabotaging your efforts.  Alcohol is sugar. Sugar is instant energy.  Instant energy keeps your body from using fat stores for energy. When you don’t use fat stores, you don’t lose weight.

Good work!!  I hope the alcohol was worth it…now what shall we do to help kick start that fat burning system again…how about suicide sprints followed by push ups and topped off with bur-pies!! Woo hoot!!



Must be a Boot Camper!

Be aware!! Foods that are tempting and look great, you know the ones, they scream at you, “It’s ok, only a little won’t hurt.” can be deadly…if you must stray from your plan, there is always a price to pay.

The Boot Camp Blog does not endorse the product or the apparent power of cheese.  It’s dairy don’t ‘ya know…remember the Milk it does a body…post?

Sugar Rush

This weekend my husband and I loaded up a suitcase and headed for the States with our children to do a little shopping, replace tires and have some work done on one of our vehicles.

Road trips, even relatively short ones, can be trying on the patience even with the conveniences of modern vehicles.  We have a DVD player, CD player, iPod, DS, DSi, blah, blah, blah.  These are more than enough with a couple of books for colouring and reading that our children are more than taken care of for the ride.

One of the keys to our travels…as we do it regularly is to balance the children as well as possible. Now I don’t mean the two smaller ones on one side and the bigger on the other side.  I mean…snacks are on the healthy side and for drinks it’s always water.

We have found this helps the travels greatly.  We’ve made the mistake of having junk food as a traveler for the children and the people who pay for that one are deservedly us!  It was spectacular when the three were sitting within inches of each other all with a sugar rush slamming through their bodies and all they could move was feet and arms…just the instruments of irritation that were perfect for causing Armageddon to break out two feet behind your head!

Sandwiches, veggie sticks, a little fruit does wonders for filling the hunger gap without creating the sugar highs and lows associated to the, “For the love of God, take this is and be quiet!” Gummy Bears, Smarties and Glazed Donuts.

This morning as we ate breakfast, our children had egg, whole grain toast, some fruit and water, while we watched child after

"Please, just stop crying!"

child with Fruit Loops, giant cups of apple and orange juice, waffles with strawberry sauce whip cream, syrup and white bread.  I’m sure some parents thought, “It’s only once in a while.” or “Just this one time.”   There might be some truth to that, but judging by the size of the little porkers running wild after about 20 minutes of a good old fashioned sugar fix…I’m willing to bet a piece of whole grain bread with some fresh berries or an omelet with some spinach and mushrooms would be the real rare thing.

How has it paid off for us to be a little more careful about what we feed our kids?  Their teachers have never complained they are lethargic in class.  They come home from school and are very willing to play outside and don’t drag their butts all over the place.  A two or three hour car ride doesn’t leave me or my husband pulling out our hair, frustrated by poor behavior because of the sugar rush and ensuing crash.

It’s so very true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but if it is a cornucopia of sugar, glucose, fructose and all other ‘o-ses’, you are sending your child into their day at a serious disadvantage.

Any thoughts or opinions?  I would love to hear if you have changed your child’s diet and noticed a change in their behavior or energy levels.