Source: http://nextlevelfitness.com/are-you-a-cheater/

Absolutely.  And before you ladies get too upset, I’m talking about cheating on my diet, not my wife!

Yesterday was Easter Sunday, and my wife put together a delicious meal for us and a few friends.  Ham, buttermilk biscuits, sausage cheese balls, hash browns, homemade cinnamon rolls, two different egg dishes (one with cheese and turkey sausage, one with veggies and bacon), lemon poppyseed muffins and fruit.  After that we topped it off with a layered parfait dessert.  Coffee and/or mimosas were the drinks of choice.

Did I eat too much?  Oh yeah.  Did I stray out of my diet?  Nope.  You see, a proper healthy diet INCLUDES cheat days.  That’s right.  I didn’t say “tolerates cheat days” or “can handle cheat days.”  No, a proper diet includes them.  The trick is to only do them on cheat days, general rule of thumb being no more than once a week.

Two major reasons:

1. Cheat days help to keep you from feeling deprived of the unhealthy things that you love.  If you get to indulge in your “guilty pleasures” every now and then, then you don’t give in to your cravings when you aren’t supposed to.  It also gives you something to look forward to.

2. Cheat days dramatically spike your calorie intake.  This will increase your f…

Source: http://www.personaltrainingco.com/benefits-of-exercise-when-pregnant/

Pregnant? Not sure about exercise? Coach Damien Woodson, a personal trainer based in Ashburn, VA, discusses the benefits as well as precautions to take.

I’ve worked with a lot of pregnant moms over the years and the first thing I recommend is talking to their doctor about what they can and can’t do.

Debbie Staying Healthy While Pregnant!

One of those Mom’s, is Debbie . She has been active her whole life and doesn’t see the need to stop because she’s expecting.  This is her second child and she wants to be in the best shape possible during and after labor.  Debbie works out with us 2x’s a week AND does some cardio on her own.

Top Ten Benefits of Pregnancy from “What to Expect”

Pregnancy comes with its share of annoying complaints. But the more you exercise during pregnancy, the less you’ll find to complain about. There’s a case to be made for fitness for everyone, but in moms-to-be specifically, pregnancy exercise can:

Fight pregnancy fatigue. Low-level tiredness plagues many women during the first trimester, then again late in the third trimester. It seems paradoxical, but sometimes getting too much rest c…

Source: http://clubindustry.com/la-fitness/la-fitness-employee-shot-coworker-arkansas

The shooting occurred in the parking lot at the LA Fitness in Little Rock, Arkansas, as one employee was leaving work and another employee allegedly pulled up in a vehicle and shot him three times, according to media reports.

read more

…

Source: http://focuscenterfitness.com/lydia-green/

Lydia Green comes from a background of dance. After her professional dance career with the The National Ballet of Canada, Lydia was drawn to the yoga mat by its physical practice and the discipline and breath it brought into her life.

see more…

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tinybuddha/~3/ofuto69fNMI/

“In the end, long life is the reward, strength, and beauty.” ~Grace Paley

In September 2014, my grandmother turned ninety years old. She lives in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is where she has lived her entire life, and while my parents could have brought her to live with them in the US a long time ago, she has always preferred to live independently in her hometown.

I went to Rio to celebrate my grandmother’s ninetieth birthday. Although I was born there, I had not been back for over twenty-five years. I learned a lot about my country of birth, my hometown, and my relatives on that trip, but the most important things that I learned were from my grandmother.

She is healthier, more active, and more independent than most seventy-year-olds. By simply observing her, I learned some key lessons about what it takes to have a very healthy and long life. Here are the five keys to her longevity.

The Importance of Being Physically Active

When you imagine someone in their nineties, you probably imagine a person who has difficulty moving because of body aches, stiff joints, muscle loss, and a lack of stamina. You may imagine someone who needs a cane or walker to get around and can’t walk long distances without needing to stop for a break.

My grandmother is definitely…

Source: http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/food-focus-broccolini/

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

Today, we are going to talk about Broccolini, otherwise known as Baby Broccoli.  Broccolini is a hybrid cousin of my broccoli and is a cross between regular broccoli and Chinese kale.   You will recognize its beauty by the slender stalks and broccoli flowerettes on top.   I absolutely LOVE broccolini and I am hoping to convince you to love it too!

If you are not a fan of Broccoli then you may like Broccolini because it is slighter sweeter and more tender.

Broccolini Health Benefits

Contains a high amount of potassium which promotes muscle growth.
Loaded with Vitamin C that helps boost your immune system
 Contains magnesium and calcium that help regulate blood pressure.
Contains high levels of both calcium and vitamin K which are important for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis.
 High in fiber, which curbs cravings, aids in digestion and  prevents constipation.

Here is my favorite SIMPLE Broccolini recipe:

Simple Roasted Broccolini  

3/4 pound Broccolini 
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°. Place Broccolini in a greas…

Source: http://refineryfitnesspdx.com/spring-forward-smoothie/

Good Afternoon and Happy Spring Forward!

I hope you are enjoying your day and that you are adjusting to the time change.

Time for a Little Spring Cleaning

Spring has sprung and I am in the mood for a little Spring Cleaning, what about you?

What better way to feel better, look better, and rid your body of toxins than with this “Spring Forward Smoothie”!

Are you struggling to get in your recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables? Are you skipping breakfast because of time restrictions? Do you feel tired or less energetic? Fear no more! It’s time to be proactive about your health, especially when there’s a smoothie recipe THIS delicious and beneficial for your mind, body, and soul.  Start off your morning with this high-quality smoothie dense in nutritional value, drink it midday as a snack, or take it on-the-go to the gym. Enough talk, time to share!

SPRING FORWARD SMOOTHIE 
makes 1 LARGE smoothie or 2 smaller smoothies

1 ½ cups dairy-free milk
½ cup pea or broccoli sprouts
¼ teaspoon ginger powder or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder or 1 teaspoon fresh tumeric
1 handful spinach
1 green apple, core removed
3 kale leaves
½ lemon, juiced
dash of cayenne pepper
ice

What exactly will this smoothie do for me, you might ask?

Dairy-free milk such as Almond, Coconut, or Hemp Milk are loaded with vitamins, rich in…

Source: http://focuscenterfitness.com/self-defense-workshop-101/

Self Defense Workshop 101

Reserve your spot for the Self Defense 101 Workshop. Details below

We will be doing a self defense workshop within the next two weeks.
The exact date will be set after we have a Paid sign up of at least 14 then we will determine the time and date that works best for everyone!
The dates we are looking at are Friday November 3rd or November 10th 6 to 9 pm.
If Saturday afternoon works better for everyone the we can do  Saturday November 4th or November 11th  12:30 to 3:30pm.
Please specify your preference.This workshop is designed to teach the easiest, safest and most effective techniques to defend against the most common attacks.
The techniques you will learn can buy you enough time in a violent attack to get away!Some of what will be covered in the workshop:1) How to get out of a choke hold
2) How to escape easily when you are grabbed
3) The Safest way to control and defend against different striking attacks.
4) The best targets to strike to immobilize an attacker.
5) How to escape when you are grabbed fro…

Source: http://zenrockfitness.com/2015/11/yoga-for-the-inner-athlete/

Yoga for the Inner Athlete
Sunday Mornings at 8 am

ZenRock Fitness is proud to offer a second, more physically demanding, yoga class on Sunday mornings. The 60-minute sessions start at 8:00 am. This class will appeal to both the athlete & yogi within, as it blends both the hard and soft aspects of yoga.

Q: How will this class differ from the current class?

A: The 9:30am class focuses on stretching and stress reduction. We should call it Yoga for Stress Reduction or The Yoga Experience. The 8:00am class highlights concentration, endurance and building strength.

Q:  Sounds like Power Yoga, how will it differ?

A: Typical Power Yoga spends 90 minutes in a hot room. If you’ve ever attended a class, you’ll find that the pace is fairly quick. If not done correctly, before you know it, breath control and good form is lost in an effort to keep up with the instruction.

Yoga for the Inner Athlete could be thought of as a prerequisite class for Power Yoga. Rather than performing the handstand or headstand, we’ll do the prep instead. We will focus on developing the strength that is needed at the point of liftoff, without actually lifting off. We’ll practice developing the control that is needed to keep up in a power yoga class.

Q: I have a hard time doing a push-up,…

Source: http://nextlevelfitness.com/dining-out/

I just got back from a long weekend of snowboarding, and I have to tell you, I love traveling, but it got me thinking of how I could maintain the nutritional habits I need for this contest while still enjoying the trip.  Traveling and eating correctly isn’t easy.  I don’t know about you, but when I’m home and in my normal routine, I find it easy to keep up good nutritional habits.  When I’m traveling, not so much.  For one, it’s not always convenient to have the right food handy.  Second, you’re doing what more often?  that’s right – eating out.  If you’re on the road (unless you’re camping) then you will be hitting the restaurants.  Personally I think that’s part of the fun of traveling.  Here are some dining out tips that could be helpful:

1. Don’t go starving.  If you normally eat every three to four hours, then try to stay on that schedule.  Snack if you need to.  Don’t “save up” your appetite.  If you do, you’ll over-order.  If you would normally have a dinner salad and then a dinner entree, then do the same.  You don’t need three appetizers to go with it.

2. Eat your vegetables.  This is important whether you’re on the road or at home.  Vegetables are filling and keep you from eating too much of the bad stuff.  Many places now are health conscious enough to honor your special requests (steamed, not sauteed, etc.)

3. Eat sl…