Wednesday, August 31, 2011

7 Reasons to Try Interval Training

Source

Interval training is the ultimate fitness mashup, blending the speeds of both the tortoise and the hare. The benefits of this workout — pushing your pace, then slowing down to recover just so you can push your pace again — will certainly motivate you to play with your speed. If you haven't already added them to your cardio workouts, here are seven benefits of interval training.

Whittle your middle

While cardio exercise is necessary to lose fat all over your body, according to research published in the International Journal of Obesity interval training targets your waistline. Adding bursts of speed can help you lose stubborn abdominal fat, which is a boon for bikini season and your overall health. Having a waist size over 35 inches if you're a woman puts you at a higher risk for heart disease and some cancers. Curious how your middle measures up? Check your waist-to-hip ratio here.

Got a need for speed?

The most obvious benefit, but still worth noting, is interval training will make you faster. Picking up your pace when training with intervals helps to increase your speed whether you run, bike, or swim. If you're working towards a personal record for an upcoming race, don't skip your speed work. Here are interval workouts for biking, swimming, and running. Triathlon anyone?

Keep reading to learn five more reasons to kick it up a notch.

Up your after burn

Interval training increases the after-burn effect. This means that post-exercise, your body burns more calories, even at rest or sleep, after doing intervals than after doing a steady paced workout. Science suggests to maximize this effect, you should alternate between three minutes of speed with three-minute recovery, or slow bouts, for 30 to 60 minutes — after warming up of course.

Save time

No doubt about it, interval training is efficient. Pushing your cardiovascular system by adding intervals means you burn more calories in less time. By alternating between fast and slow, you can workout harder and longer, than if you were just pushing your max speed. Efficient intervals mean you can spend less time at the gym and more time in the sauna.

Go longer

Even though interval workouts might be shorter than your other workouts, this form of exercise will increase your endurance. Long runs and rides will be easier if interval training is part of your regular exercise routine. Another bonus is that climbing hills will feel easier too.

Decrease Your Resting Heart Rate

The fewer times your heart beats per minute, the less wear and tear there is on the mechanics of the organ. Interval training makes your heart more efficient so it pumps more blood with each beat, reducing the number of beats per minute.

Interval Training Works With All Forms of Cardio

Intervals may not be for everyone — it's best to have a strong cardio base before pushing yourself with intervals. And interval training doesn't have to mean sprinting. Use the rate of perceived exertion (RPE) to moderate your speed and effort. However, intervals can be done with every kind of cardio. You can play with your speed on the elliptical and the rowing machine. I like to think the walk/run programs are an introduction to intervals.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Back to Basics Series Part V : Recommended Product

Basic Anti-oxidant support is something often overlooked. Due to the stresses of the modern world, we
recommend a strong anti-oxidant product that will help combat the barrage of toxins we face every day.

Nanoreds is a superfood fruit and vegetable powder with the emphasis on the fruits more than vegetables in taste, visual appeal and phytonutrient spectrum. Nanoreds is an awesome new supplement that we recommend as it tastes great, has high antioxidant value and mixes readily.

Added benefits are:
  1. It promotes proper ph levels in your body. Exercise, certain foods and stress are linked to increased acidity in your blood. The closer your blood ph is to 7.2-7.4 the better your body can fight off disease.
  2. Increasing your intake of antioxidants will increase your ability to detoxify environmental toxins. Free Radicals are being created all of the time in our bodies. If you increase your amount of antioxidants, you increase your bodies natural defense mechanisms and detoxification processes.
  3. It is 70% organic and 30 % wildly grown, which is one of the best ratios on the market.
Nanoreds is a flexible product that can be used post workout, during your workout with ice, or even to make popsicles!

Nanoreds is available through Live in Motion info@liveinmotion.ca

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Back to Basics Series Part lV : Health & Nutrition Tips

Nutrition Tip

People often skip the “basic” rules of nutrition in search of advanced principles that will provide results.
It is crucial that you fuel your body every 2.5 – 3 hours for maximum benefits. Eating breakfast at 7am and not eating again until 12 or 1pm is MUCH too long for your body to go without food.

Try establishing the pattern of eating every 2-3 hours with your current foods and then start implementing better choices into those time slots.

Contact us if you need help implementing the basic rules of nutrition. You need a solid foundation of basic principles in order to see results!!

Chef’s Healthy Tip

In keeping with our theme of basic nutrition principles – it’s all about the prep! Eating every 2.5-3 hours requires preparation. There is no getting around it, prep is hard work and it takes commitment to make sure your proper foods are prepared for the day.

Here are some basic tips for prepping your healthy food…
  • try barbecuing your meats in large enough batches to last 3 days, on Sundays and either Wednesday or Thursday
  • clean and chop vegetables and store in containers
  • divide raw nuts and seeds into containers so they are ready to take on the road
  • try our recipes for healthy peanut butter protein bars and nutrient dense fudge
  • master 2 healthy recipes until you can do them without consulting a book and then move onto 2 more
  • pre mix your salads into containers that are ready to take
  • pre mix olive oil/vinegar and herb dressings into mason jars so they are ready to take

Master the art of prepping and everything else will become easier

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Back to Basics Series Part lll - Recipe of the Month

Once again, continuing with our theme to master the basics, we recommend a breakfast that is high protein, low carbohydrate and moderate in healthy fats.

This was our recipe back in our January 2009 Newsletter. We decided to re-use it as breakfast recipes are still our number one request. You can make a batch of these and store for up to 3 days for a quick, high energy breakfast.

Mini Turkey Sausage & Mushroom Quiche
These crust-less mini quiches are like portable omelets that can be made in advance for those pressed for time in the mornings. Try combining a few of these with a handful of raw nuts for a great breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz turkey breakfast sausage, removed from casing & crumbled into small pieces (preferably organic sausages)
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
  • ¼cup sliced scallions
  • ¼cup shredded cheese (preferably organic)
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup 1% milk


 1) Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325F. Coat a nonstick muffin tin generously with coconut oil. (suitable for high heat)

2) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Add oil to the pan. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to the bowl with the sausage. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese and pepper.

3) Whisk eggs, egg whites and milk in a medium bowl. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a heaping tablespoon of the sausage mixture into each cup.

4) Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 mins. Let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place a rack on top of the pan, flip it over and turn the quiches out onto the rack. Turn upright and let cool completely.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Back to Basics Series Part ll

Sticking with our theme of basics….

Almost every nutrition consultation we do reveals a protein intake that is much too low. Most people are downright shocked when we suggest how much protein they should consume. Remember, the human body is designed to consume “high” amounts of quality protein.

When people increase protein intake, they generally see;
· fat loss
· increased energy levels
· more stable blood sugar
· improved mood
· better sleep
· quicker recovery after workouts
· increased metabolic rate

The problem for most people is that consuming protein is inconvenient. After all, we are mostly talking about meat as a protein source. If this is an issue for you, consider a high quality protein supplement. We currently recommend Sun Warrior Protein as our preferred brand. We shy away from brands that use artificial sweeteners as they are linked with a variety of health issues.

Sun Warrior is available in Natural, Vanilla and Chocolate Flavors for $65 per bag through Live in Motion.

Jason & Lisa
FHP / CPTN-CPT / CSEP-CPT /
Registered Yoga Instructor /Certified Holistic Nutritionist (Hons)/Holistic Chef / HLC Level 1 / Biosignature Practitioner

Jason: jason@liveinmotion.ca
Lisa: lisa@liveinmotion.ca

www.liveinmotion.ca

Monday, August 15, 2011

Back to Basics Series

Good Morning Everyone, How was your weekend?

We though that we would make the next couple of posts all about getting back to the “basics” of healthy living. Get everyone back on page one (those who have gotten a little lost along the way)

As with anything, we need to build a foundation of knowledge and habits.
Much of what we do centers around helping clients change their overall lifestyle from “unhealthy” to “healthy.” One of the first steps is to create some very basic lifestyle changes.
Think for a minute about the constant barrage of unhealthy factors we encounter everyday – pollution, poor drinking water, stressful work and commuting environments, pesticides, chemicals in soap, shampoo, make-up and toothpaste, junk food, a constant flow of negative media coverage and radiation from electronic gadgets.

Why not do something good for yourself? Try making one or two BASIC lifestyle changes until they become a habit. Then add one or two more. Over the course of a year, think about the positive effects that these changes can have on a physical, mental and emotional level.

Here are some suggested changes……
  • buy a water filtration unit
  • improve sleep patterns by going to bed and waking at the same time every day
  • take 10 minutes each evening for deep breathing
  • drink lemon water first thing in the morning to alkalinize your bloodstream
  • cut your alcohol intake by 50%
  • add Celtic salt to your meals to increase trace minerals
  • cut out late night carbohydrates
  • use coconut oil for high heat cooking
  • increase fiber
  • use a greens drink
  • challenge yourself to learn more about nutrition and the body
  • try yoga
  • do a full body detox
  • stay away from negative media before bed (The news!)
  • commit yourself to a fitness program

After all, most people have everything to gain and nothing to lose by making basic lifestyle changes.
Contact us if you need help in creating a healthier lifestyle. Our job is to “Overhaul your unhealthy lifestyle”

Jason & Lisa
FHP / CPTN-CPT / CSEP-CPT /
Registered Yoga Instructor /Certified Holistic Nutritionist (Hons)/Holistic Chef / HLC Level 1 / Biosignature Practitioner

Jason: jason@liveinmotion.ca
Lisa: lisa@liveinmotion.ca

www.liveinmotion.ca July/ August 2011