Training Tips (Updated August 15, 2011)

Anti-inflammatory Diet Tips - August 15

When you are choosing anti-inflammatory foods to help reduce your inflammation and pain, choose fresh foods instead of heavily processed foods. Here are some tips:

• Breakfast could be oatmeal served with fresh berries and walnuts, with a cup of soy milk.
• Snack on whole fruits, nuts, seeds, and fresh vegetables throughout the day instead of cookies and candy.
• Eat more fish and less fatty red meat.
• Stay away from deep fried foods, and bake or stir fry your meals instead.
• Choose green, orange, and yellow vegetables for your side dishes.
• Drink plenty of water, fresh 100% fruit and vegetable juices, herbal teas and green tea.

Anti-inflammatory Diet Tips - August 15

Choose green leafy vegetables, green and brightly colored vegetables and lots of fresh whole fruits. You should eat at least five, and preferably more, servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Green vegetables and whole fruits are also important as sources of dietary fiber.

Anti-inflammatory Diet Tips - August 15

Most of your carbohydrates should come from whole grains, vegetables and fruits. The bread, cereal and pasta in your diet should be mostly 100% whole grain products. Whole grains are excellent sources of fiber, and a high fiber diet will reduce your inflammation.

Anti-inflammatory Diet Tips - August 15

The right types of fats in your diet will impact pain and inflammation in a positive way. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are very powerful anti-inflammatory agents. They are found in cold water oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, canola oil and pumpkin seeds. Adding omega-3 fatty acid supplements from flax oil or fish oil may also help reduce inflammation, just be sure to speak with a doctor or nutritionist before taking larger, therapeutic doses of any supplement, or follow label instructions.

Olive oil is another type of oil that will reduce inflammation. In fact, olive oil has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, and will help to reduce pain. Other healthy oils include rice bran oil, grape seed oil, and walnut oil.

Healthy Beverages - August 15

Your body needs water in the form of foods and beverages every day. The simplest and maybe best form of water is fresh drinking water. Other good fluid sources include 100% fruit juices, herbal teas, vegetable juices and low fat milk. About 20% of the water you need every day will come from the foods you eat.

How to Increase Your Metabolism - August 15

Start a strength building program.  Muscle burns more calories than fat.  Simply put, if you are more muscular, your body will burn more calories each day than someone who is less muscular.  Working with a personal trainer is an excellent way to learn the proper form and the intensity necessary to increase muscle mass.

How to Increase Your Metabolism - August 15

Eat smaller, more frequent meals during the day.  When you eat more frequently, your body works at a more constant rate.  This increases your overall metabolism.  Eating only 2-3 times a day will give your body a chance to “go to sleep” between meals.  This will slow down your metabolism.  Ideally, eating 5-6 times a day will keep your metabolic furnace burning.  Just be sure that they are small meals with healthy portions of each food group.

How to Increase Your Metabolism - August 15

Water, water, and more water.  Drink lots of it.  Water will allow your body to function the way biology intended.  Not enough and your body will essentially “shut down”.  Drink no less than 64 oz. of water a day.

How to Increase Your Metabolism - August 15

Engage in aerobic exercise at least 20 minutes each day in addition to partaking in a strength training program 2-4 times per week.

Strongest muscle? - July 8

Pound for pound, what is the strongest muscle in your body? Believe it or not, it’s the tongue. (In some people, we wish this weren’t the case! )

Your body needs exercise - July 8

Saying you’re too overweight to exercise, is like saying you’re too skinny to eat. Your body needs exercise just the way your body needs food. No matter how overweight you are, you can do something to start the process of losing fat, strengthening your bones and relieving your joints of the load that they’re carrying.

Try this Self Test - July 8

Try this self test: Stand on one leg and close your eyes. The longer you can stand without falling, the younger your brain (15 seconds is very good if you are 45 or older). To develop better balance, you should use free weights (dumbbells) and barbells; because exercising with them works your proprioception (your ability to balance).

Find a partner - July 8

Find a partner or group of people to exercise with who inspire and challenge you!

Mix it up! - July 8

Mix it up! If you do the same activities over and over, your body will adapt and your progress will cease. Attending our semi-private and group coaching sessions will keep your body guessing and ensure that you don’t plateau!

Exercise and Glaucoma? - July 8

Exercise and Glaucoma? Did you know that just 30 minutes of exercise reduces eye pressure by 20%?

When out for a walk - July 5

When out for a walk, choose one of the following to do every 2-3 minutes for a 30 second duration: jumping jacks, squats, lunges, sprints or push-ups. Watch your energy level go up and your waist-size go down!