The Fit Bride: Juicing to Good Health

I recently watched a great documentary name "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" and learned a lot about juicing.  When I talk about juicing I don't mean putting needles in your butt to get huge.  Obviously that's not the look you are going for on your wedding day.

Juicing your own fruit is a great way to stay away from processed juices in the store that are full of sugar and preservatives.  The volume of micronutrients you can get from your own fruit and vegetable juice goes above and beyond any amount you can get from store bought juice.  Those vitamins and minerals help our body with so many processes that will help you look and feel your best on your wedding day.

After watching this documentary I decided to try it for myself.  It was absolutely the best juice I have ever tried in my life.  I ran apples, strawberrys, pineapples, oranges, pears, carrots and various other fruits and vegetables through my juicer and everything tasted great.  I had more energy and less allergies after a few days of drinking my very own juice.

Homemade juice would be a great way to add a healthy snack and make sure you are getting the micronutrients needed.  This will help you feel vibrant and look great for your big day.  If you have any direct questions about juicers or recipes please check out the website for "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead"  or email me at andy@hfhonline.com

www.fatsickandnearlydead.com

Get Healthy and Juiced!!

Andrew

www.facebook.com/tntpersonaltraining

The Fit Bride: Simple In-Home Workout!

The hardest part of an exercise plan is getting started.  Try to use the motivation of looking great for your wedding day to get you going.  Once you have made that decision to get healthy it is best to have a plan to follow.  Below is a short in-home workout that will be effective and get you going in the right direction. 



Find a place in your house with enough room to move freely and dress in comfortable clothes.  The exercises are described below with pictures to help you with the form.  Try doing each exercise 10-20 times twice, with a one minute break in-between each one.  Keep moving to keep your heart rate up and burn the maximum amount of calories. 

Warm Up - Jumping Jacks (1-3 minutes)


Split Squat -  Wide split with weight staying on the front heal.  Drop down until your back knee almost touches the ground then return to start.  Keep your head and shoulders up to keep back straight.  Switch legs!


Standing Punches - Stand in an athletic stance with feet shoulder width apart.  Fully extend one arm out and back and then switch.  Move quickly as if punching a heavy bag.   Use anything around the house as weight (cans, milk jugs, etc).

Squat Jumps - Squat down until knees are at about 90*.  Keep head and shoulders up and jump as high as you can in the air.  Squat back down and repeat.

Bentover Flye - Grab the weights you used for the punches.  Bend your knees and while keeping head up bend over at the waist to 45*.  Keeping arms straight, flye out to the side like you are flapping your wings.

Seated Twist - Sit on the ground with your knees bent.  Hold something heavy in front of you and lean back until abs become activated.  Twist your head, shoulders, and weight from one side to the other making sure you don't sit back up.

Squat Thrust - Start in standing position then crouch down to place hands on the ground.  Kick your feet back into a push-up position.  Then return back to the standing position.  Jumping at the end would be a good way to make this one harder.



If you have any questions about this short program or would like to learn more please e-mail me at andy@hfhonline.com.

Goodluck and Get Fit,
Andrew

The Fit Bride: Easy Healthy Dinner

I was eating dinner last night and was thinking that it was the perfect meal to put on this blog.  Eating is one of the hardest things to to today!  Eating HEALTHY that is.  Everyone is looking for quick and easy and that usually ends up being processed garbage.  Below is a meal I make on a regular basis that can be modified to be different each meal.  I will write what I had last night and some options to add.


3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic
1 Cup Fresh Snow Peas
1 Cup Fresh Cut Broccoli
1/2 Cup Fresh Cut Carrots

(other veggie choices: Mushrooms, Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes)

Season to taste with:
Basil
Oregano
Pepper
Paprika

Throw in frying pan and cook vegetables about half way.  While cooking vegetables boil a small amount of whole wheat or vegetable pasta!

When veggies are cooked about half way add some sort of lean meat...  I have tried these below and cooking times vary!

Lean Venison Steak
Shrimp
Scallops
Chicken

Toss everything together and enjoy!

Eat Healthy,
Andrew

The Fit Bride: Stress - don't let it ruin your wedding!

One thing is for sure, you will be stressed while planning your wedding and on your wedding day.  If you don't get stressed at all then you are a superhero!  How you manage this stress can make or break your big day.  I am sure we have all seen or heard of that show Bridzilla.  Managing your stress will help you not end up on that show and handle your wedding in stride.

I recently watched a film by National Geographic that talked about stress and its affects on our body.  Some stress can be good for our body's but un-managed negative stress can take a tole on us.  Something that seems to be mental can have a lasting negative physical effect on our bodies.  I believe the correct term is phsycosomatic diseases.  We can literally make ourselves sick.

Their are many ways of managing your stress.  Some may work for you and some may not.  The important thing is to find one that works for you and implement it into your daily routine.  Meditation is a form of stress relief used for centuries.  Different types of meditation may work to help release stress and help you relax about everything associated with your wedding.  Below is a link to an article from the Mayo Clinic that talks about different types of meditation.  Check it out and see if any of these work for you.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/meditation/HQ01070

Get Relaxed,
Andrew

The Fit Bride: Nutritional Tip

Nutrition tip: Eating colorful food offers numerous health benefits. Green produce offers immune-fighting properties. Red & blue fruits & veggies promote healthy circulation. Yellow & orange foods strengthen your heart & purify your blood. These foods provide anti-aging properties, encourage weight loss & help ward off disease including cancer & diabetes. Pretty cool, huh?!

Eat Well!!

Andrew

The Fit Bride: Get Educated

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to nutrition is to follow the mass of drones at the grocery store.  Buying boxes and cans and frozen food that can be put in your pantry and left there until next Christmas!  Food was not meant to sit on a shelf, it was meant to be eaten in a fresh state.

Processed foods are killing us as Americans!  I recently talked to a friend who was having trouble with their weight.  They decided to try eating without bringing processed foods into the mix.  Low and behold they lost 30 pounds with there new found way of eating. 

The best thing we can do as humans is educate ourselves on what is and is not healthy when it comes to our food choices.  We can not go around blindly believing the advertising geniuses just because they tell us that weight loss bar is a great breakfast.  Guess what, it's not even close!!

One of the most educational films I have ever seen is Forks Over Knives.  Forks Over Knives examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods.The major storyline traces the personal journeys of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the world renowned Cleveland Clinic. Inspired by remarkable discoveries in their young

careers, these men conducted several groundbreaking studies. Their separate

research led them to the same startling conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart

disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be

prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet.

Despite the profound implications of their findings, their work has remained relatively

unknown to the public.  Bringing these scientific concepts to life, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes, and are taught by their doctors to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments. The film features leading experts on health and  tackles the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for years.

Please go out and educate yourselves about what really healthy eating is all about.  It will make a huge difference in achieving your goals for your wedding as well as leading a healthy lifestyle in your new life afterwards.

For more information check out forksoverknives.com!!

Get Healthy!

Andrew

The Fit Bride: Challenge Yourself

As your wedding nears I know it will be hard to think about much else.  All the errands, phone calls, and meetings to make sure everything is just right.  It will be important to stay focused on your fitness goals through this turbulent time.  One way of doing this would be to challenge yourself to do something you have never done before.  Give yourself something that will push you to keep up on your health and fitness. 

This year I have decided to challenge myself as well, by signing up for the short course in the Waupaca Area Triathlon.  I have never done anything like this so it will really help me stay focused and push myself to get ready.  The excitement of a new challenge will do the trick in keeping me on track.  Try something new and challenge yourself to keep moving forward to achieving your goals.

Below are a few links to races and different ways to challenge yourself in the new year!

http://www.waupacaareatriathlon.com/

http://www.midwestsportsevents.com/paperdiscovery.html

http://www.eastbay.com/halfmarathon/

http://www.greatlakesendurance.com/wisconsin-races.html

Get out and be fit!!
Andrew

The Fit Bride

Because we all love The Knot, here are 8 wedding day ready tips that I found for you there. 

http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-beauty-tips/wedding-workout-exercise/articles/fitness-pros-best-tips-for-brides.aspx?MsdVisit=1

Now, a tip from me:
DON'T EVER SKIP BREAKFAST!!!

I know you've heard it before, but it couldn't be more true.  Skipping breakfast will only make you hungrier.  You'll end up eating more throughout the day, and you'll tend to have more "cravings".



Here are some statistics for you found on www.mrbreakfast.com:

• November 28, 2001

A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that adult women trying to diet are more successful if they eat a healthy breakfast and avoid mid-morning snacks.

• January 11, 2011

According to a Georgia Centenarian Study, people who regularly eat breakfast have lower rates of Type 2 diabetes and are less likely to develop heart failure over their lifetime than those who don't. The 21-year study of older Americans suggests that regularly eating breakfast may lead to a longer-than-average life span.

• October 26, 2010

A study of 2,379 girls called the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study (NGHS) found that breakfast cereal eaters tend to have lower waist-to-height ratios, an indicator of healthy body weight, lower total cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol.

• October 18, 2010

A University of Tasmania (Australia) study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that both children and adults who skip their morning meal tend to have overall worse eating behaviors and exercise less than those who do eat breakfast. People who skip breakfast also tended to have higher cholesterol, elevated insulin levels, and larger waist circumferences.

 

 

For some healthy and quick breakfast ideas go to:

http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/recipe-collections-favorites/healthy-meals/breakfast-to-go-10000001047596/index.html

 

The homemade version of the egg-mcmuffin is my favorite!  Give these a try and let us know what is yours.

The Fit Bride

Shape - Up:  The 6-month fitness plan

It is ENGAGEMENT season!!!  Did you know that December is the most popular month to get engaged and, about, 70% of brides want to lose weight before their wedding? Good news!! Starting this month, I will be working with a fitness expert to help you all get fit in 6 months. Keep watching for more information and make sure to share this with your friends!! You don't need to be getting married to get fit!

We will be including healthy recipes, nutrition tips, excersise routines (I might even get my guru to show us how to do them!!), and a whole lot more to help you get ready for that gorgeous dress!  Make sure to share this information with your bridesmaids and make it a group activity ~ or a challenge...

Here are a few tips for you to get started:

1. Write down your current weight and your goal weight.  Keep an excersise diary and watch your progression.  Don't weigh yourself daily, but do start our plan with weight and measurements.  Do these things monthly and always in the morning, around the same time for accuracy.

2. Start out doing a minimum of 20 minutes of cardio, three times a week.  This could include jogging, walking, running, swimming, elliptical (my personal favorite), biking...you get the idea.

3. By week two you should increase your cardio activity to a minimum of 30 minutes. 

4. Your foods should contain high fiber and low calories.  Make sure to check lables and watch serving sizes!!  This is a great time to start using fresh vegetables in your cooking.  Spinach (fresh, not frozen...only because it's much yummier), kales and broccoli are great!  Fruit is very important too.  A wonderful afternoon snack, if you need a little energy boost...a green apple with peanut butter.  Pass on the snickers.

tip:  if you have a sweet tooth and are craving a candy bar, eat a banana.  The sugars in the banana take care of the craving.

5. Try to avoid any high calorie, greasy, processed, fast-foods or deep fried foods.  Since it is hard to quit cold-turkey give yourself one cheat meal per week, just don't overdo it!  Have a slice of pizza, a monster salad (no iceburg lettuce please.  Use romaine, red-leaf, spinach and load on veggies - not the salad dressing) and a beer for dinner.  This sort of "cheat" meal will curb your carb and greasy food craving but will also supply you with the fibers and healthy nutritional needs.

6. Cut soda!  Water is best, but if you can't stand drinking 8 glasses of water a day, Crystal Light is a great thing to add.  Alcohol is another biggie!  Did you know a wine cooler has anywhere between 180 - 250 calories per serving (depending on the brand and flavor).  YIKES!

7. Don't overdo the excersising.  This can do more harm than good.  If it's been a while, ease into it.  Start with walking or swimming...don't just get out there and run 10 miles!  Join a walking, running or biking group.  If you are doing things with people that will be expecting to see you, you're more likely to show up and stick with it.

Go to this website and find out your weight vs. weight loss calorie count.  You can get calorie information on foods and drinks here and become part of a "community".  I use this!!

http://caloriecount.about.com

And, finally, a DELICIOUS recipe from one of my favorite food sites!  I think I know what I'm making for dinner tonight.  White Bean Chili - YUM!!!  This recipe forgoes the fat from the beef and is packed with healthy fibers.  Enjoy!

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/white-bean-chili-recipe2/index.html

I said this before, but make sure to share this information with your friends.  Let's all work together to make this year the healthiest yet!  If you have questions or want certain information, let us know. 

Happy 2012 everyone!!!