 Although this image really does say it all, I have added 5 reasons to pump up the jam with weights - just as a continual reminder of why we do what we do!
1. Increased Metabolic Rate – adding new muscle to your body increases it’s ability to burn calories even at rest. Muscle is WAY more metabolically active than fat and, as you can see, takes up far less room. 2. Increased Tone & Bone – Lifting weights will start to create new muscle definition - ready for you to show off any time! Adding muscle stimulates the body to build new, stronger bones in order to support your new muscle mass. You will increase your bone density and be less likely to develop osteoporosis as you age. Strength training is your best defence against osteoporosis. 3. Better Posture – As you build muscle strength you are more able to hold your body in the upright, tall position it should be in. Eventually, your will feel your supporting muscles tighten as you stand, sit, walk, get up from a seated position, and exercise. You are able to fight gravity with strong muscles holding you up - no more leaning forward and slouching! 4. Increased Functional Strength – By increasing overall strength you will be able to perform the activities of daily living better. Laundry, grocery shopping, lifting the kids, dogs pulling on the leash, shovelling, lawn mowing......these all become so much easier. 5. Decreased Chance of Injury – Your body will instinctively know what muscles to fire when needed after you have taught them using proper form during strength training For example – you’re out for a walk in the winter. You slip on some ice and feel your knees buckle, but - you don't fall down!! This is because you have strengthened the muscles in your legs that provide stability in the knee. Compare that to someone with poor muscle development and they will likely have torn a ligament in the knee and done some more damage to themselves as they hit the ice. So there you have it. And, of course, we can't forget the great feeling we get after working out with weights - strong and fabulous!!!!
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Pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers leave residues on food crops; these residues cause stress on your body, and have been connected with adverse immune reactions and chronic illness. But even if budget wasn’t a factor, seasonality and limited availability can make it challenging to eat all organic, all the time. Buying local produce is the best way to go, but when it isn't available - rely on: The Clean 15 and
The Dirty Dozen. What are the Clean 15 and the Dirty Dozen? Every year the Environmental Working Group (EWG)—a non-profit organization dedicated to using public information to protect public health and the environment—publishes The Shopper’s Guides to Pesticides in Produce. This handy little publication contains government (USDA and FDA) data, which ranks fruit and vegetables (both conventional and organic) for most/least pesticide residue left on your produce after washing and peeling. The Clean 15 and The Dirty Dozen make an excellent place to start when you’re motivated to eat more fruit and vegetables, yet are also concerned about chemicals. Because this list is updated every year, here’s the link to where you can find the latest edition: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/ *American, yes, but that's where most of our produce is from.  Oh, the liver. The poor, poor liver. So much work to do and so little support in this world of ours! It has to sort through a multitude of chemicals - those naturally occurring in our body and those that get in from the outside. The word 'live' is in it's name for a reason. It is our internal cleaning machine and it needs our help!
It needs green vegetables, organic produce....simple, clean foods and WATER! So why do we feel the need to dirty the things we should consume naturally? Mio is such a great example. Just drink water. (Adding natural, liver-helping liquid chlorophyll is great, too!). But, otherwise, JUST DRINK WATER. Why would you want to damage your body with adding crap to such a beautifully simple thing? Well, we know why the manufacturers do it. Here is a post from FOODUCATE: "Kraft, like many big food companies, has a problem. Every 3 months the publicly traded company needs to show rising sales and profits to its Wall Street Investors. But since it sells food, how can it possibly sell any more to a country of already overstuffed consumers? The answer: Innovation. Mostly in marketing. And so, in a recent company “innovation day” Kraft executive have brainstormed and concocted a new product called Mio Water Flavoring. What is it? A concentrated liquid that comes in tiny eye-drop-sized bottles. The target consumer: Men and women aged 18 to 39 who “prefer to customize their experiences, including what they drink.” “This is the next big thing,” says Roxanne Bernstein from Kraft, director of the $3.99 MiO brand. “It’s an entirely new category.” Kraft is pumping a lot of energy into this product launch, their biggest in 15 years. Is all the fanfare justified? Nutritionally this product has no calories. Sounds good. Until you see what’s inside… What you need to know: Here is the ingredient list: Water, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol, Malic Acid, Contains Less than 2% of Natural Flavor,Sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium (Sweeteners), Potassium Citrate, Red 40, Blue 1,Potassium Sorbate (Preservative). What are you getting here? Propylene Glycol is a clear and slightly bitter liquid that is used to prevent discoloration of foods during storage. It has been shown to cause various diseases in animal studies when consumed in large quantities. Acesulfame Potassium is a fake sweetener that is potentially carcinogenic. “Natural Flavor” with fake colors to cause you to imagine the berries depicted on the package. Unfortunately those artificial colors may cause cancer and hyperactivity too. Last but not least, potassium sorbate is a mold inhibitor – it allows this product to sit on a shelf for months. So, Mio is a gobbledegook of chemicals designed to entice consumers, but mostly to increase Kraft profits. Really Kraft, is this the best you could do?' PLEASE - pass this on to any one you know who has fallen into the marketing trap of Kraft. I know you INNER ATHLETES know better :)  Week 5 is off to a great start! Everyone who came to Monday's classes gave it their all (and their patience - my guinea pigs for new moves!)
There was one moment in particular that inspired me to write this blog. Inner Athlete, Alison Scott, left yesterday morning saying one thing that keeps making me smile - inside and out. She was saying goodbye to me and commented: "That was fun!". She probably didn't realize what an impact that one sentence would have on me, but that is exactly what I am hoping to accomplish for you all. I am hoping that at some point you will feel that switch from exercise being a chore to exercise being something that you really want to do. Once that happens, it is no longer: "ugh, I have to make time for this". It becomes: "I am making time for this". I would love to hear from any of you who have already made that switch, or feel that you are close to it. Personally, I crave exercising and can't imagine my life without it (believe me, I haven't always been this way!) Thank you, Alison, for those three wonderful words. Inner Athletes: Your feedback is vital to me and I appreciate everything you say. Stay strong and fabulous xo I will often double a recipe to ensure that I have leftovers for lunch and/or dinner the next day. If the family doesn't feel like it the next day - I'll chop up the carrots, find some other veggies and throw them in with the rice for a vegetable stirfry!
Give this a try for a quick and yummy dinner: ASIAN BAKED FISH WITH BROWN RICE AND SAUTEED CARROTS 8 fish filets (salmon, tilapia, halibut, cod....) 4 Tablespoons olive oil 4 Teaspoons fresh lemon juice 4 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced 4 cloves garlic, minced 6 Tablespoons of Tamari sauce 2 Tablespoons brown sugar Salt and pepper 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon butter 2 lb. bag of organic baby carrots Salt and pepper to taste Enough brown rice to ensure leftovers! (check bag to see how much you will need). Start cooking the rice as per directions on the bag(I will use vegetable or chicken stock with water - half and half - to give more flavour to the rice). Preheat oven to 400. In shallow baking dish, whisk oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, Tamari and brown sugar. Place fish in baking dish season with salt and pepper. Turn fish over and over in sauce to coat. Spoon sauce over filets to cover fish well. Bake for 10 minutes (will depend on thickness of filet – may only need 7-8 for very thin). While the fish is cooking, boil some salted water in a large pot and add carrots. Cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Add carrots and stir fry for 3 minutes seasoning well with salt and pepper. |
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Photos used under Creative Commons from we-make-money-not-art, Sarah Camp
