Live In Motion

Registration Info for Yoga - Start Date is Tues, March 20

2012-02-27T11:00:00.001-05:00

Most people we come across in everyday life are struggling with stress management. When your mind races, constantly thinking of tasks to be done it leads to the release of stress hormones which cause weight gain. More than ever, calming the mind needs to become part of your arsenal to become lean and healthy.

Why not consider Yoga? Think of the benefits - deep breathing, pulling O2 into the body, flexibility, blood flow, injury prevention, better frame of mind.....the list goes on.

Our Yoga classes are designed to help you accomplish all of the above in a cost effective manner and a positive environment....

Start Date: March 20 for 8 Weeks
Day: Tuesdays
Time: 7 to 8pm
Location: Clarington Wellness Path in Bowmanville
Cost: $84.75 taxes incl.

Contact me at lisa@liveinmotion.ca for details or to register. Room is available for 8-10 participants. Spots are filling quick so please contact me ASAP if interested. Thank you.

Boot Camp Clients - In Home Routine

2012-02-15T10:06:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that there is no Bowmanville Boot Camp on Feb 20 and 22nd. I would recommend that everybody stay active through this week to keep your momentum and conditioning going. Congrats to everyone for all the hard work. Great to hear all the stories of results that are happening.

Here is a quick and simple in home training program.....

Warm Up - 5 mins light walking. Gradually increase intensity.

Dynamic Warm Up - 12 to 15 reps of the following;

- squats
- pendulums
- trunk twists
- waiter's bow
- calf raise
- large arm circles

Tabatas (20 second high intensity intervals followed by 10 seconds rest for 8 rounds. Total is 4 minutes) Pick one of the following bodyweight exercises to perform;

- jumping jacks
- fast squats
- mountain climbers

Main Workout - alternating bodyweight exercise with cardiovascular exercise

25 squats
45 seconds running in place

20 push ups
45 seconds air boxing

15 burpees
45 seconds side to side shuffles

20 One leg bridges per leg on heel
45 seconds running in place

20 close grip push ups
30 seconds jumping jacks

25 bent rows (use a small dumbbells or soup cans)
45 seconds side shuffles

1 minute planking

Rest 90 seconds and repeat for a total of 3 circuits. Adjust intensity based on conditioning level.

Spicy Oatmeal Crusted Chicken Fingers - Another Fast Weekday Recipe

2012-02-13T10:47:00.001-05:00

This is another quick meal that can be made during the week when you are short on time. It provides quality protein and fiber as well as a savoury flavor to help satisfy cravings. Serve with a side of fresh greens to boost the nutrient content of this meal...

Ingredients;

- 3 chicken breasts (flatten with a meat mallet and cut into strips)
- 1 cup oatmeal (run through a coffee grinder until finely ground)
- 1 egg beaten

Spices - 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, paprika, chili powder, thyme plus a pinch of sea salt and pepper. You can adjust the spices to taste.

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2) Mix spices into ground oatmeal

3) Coat chicken strips with egg and cover with the oatmeal/spice mixture

4) Place strips on a cooking sheet and cook 15-20 minutes until chicken is tender and coating is crispy

A Quick Weekday Breakfast That Can Be Prepped in Advance

2012-01-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

Mini Ground Meat and Mushroom Quiches

These crustless mini quiches are like portable omelets that can be made in advance for those pressed for time in the mornings. Provides protein and healthy fats. Try combining a few of these with a handful of raw nuts for a great breakfast. Other veggies can be added for more nutrients and fiber.

Ingredients;

> 8 ounces ground beef or ground turkey.
> 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
> 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
> 1/4 cup sliced green onion
> 1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice
> 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
> 5 eggs
> 3 egg whites
> 1 cup 1% milk

Directions;

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

2) Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey or beef 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 ground meat. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in green onions, 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 meat mixture into each cup.

4) Bake until the tops are just beginning to brown, 25 minutes. 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.

Small Group Yoga - Try The Difference With A Small Group. 2 Spots Remaining

2012-01-11T12:37:00.002-05:00

Stress release, flexibility, blood flow, deep breathing and energy balance. Our Yoga program allows for a max of 8 participants to allow for a more personal experience.

Start Date: January 17 for 8 Weeks

Day: Tuesdays
Time: 7 to 8pm
Location: Clarington Wellness Path in Bowmanville
Cost: $84.75 taxes incl.

Contact me at lisa@liveinmotion.ca for details or to register. Room is available for 8 participants.

A Quick and Healthy Weekday Dinner Recipe...

2012-01-10T16:04:00.000-05:00

We use this recipe ofter during the week when we are a bit pressed for time. Makes for great leftovers. It provides quality protein, healthy fat, fibre and other nutrients. Feel free to throw in whatever veggies you have. Also a great meal for when you are craving something with lots of flavor...

Quick Thai Chicken Curry

Ingredients;

2 cans coconut milk (full fat version)
2-3 tablespoons red curry paste
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes or other meat
2 small cans of water chestnuts
1-2 cups of fresh green beans (frozen is ok as well)
1 large red pepper
3 green onions
1 cup fresh cilantro

Directions;

1) Using a large skillet bring coconut milk to a gentle boil and add red curry paste and chicken
2) Cook on a gentle simmer until chicken is thoroughly cooked. About 5 minutes
3) Add water chestnuts, green beans, onions and red pepper and cook until tender – about 5 mins.
4) Remove from heat and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Whitby Small Group Boot Camp - 2 spots available

2012-01-07T09:53:00.000-05:00

We have 2 openings left for our Whitby boot camp registration. This class is small enough to receive personalized attention and feedback to prevent injury. You will receive an intensive work out with proper modifications. Start date is Janaury 17.

Day - Tuesday (6 weeks)
Time - 7 to 8pm
Location - Whitby (Garrard/Rossland)
Level - Beginner to Advanced

This is a small group of roughly 8 people in a private setting. Excellent for those that prefer this type of atmosphere.

Email us at info@liveinmotion.ca to register or for more info.

Bowmanville Indoor Winter Boot Camp - Starts January 11. Serious Fat Burning!

2012-01-04T10:21:00.002-05:00

We're excited to be starting our 2012 Indoor Winter Boot Camp!

Our slogan for this year is 'Serious Fat Burning!' Coming out of the holidays is a perfect time to capitalize on a fresh frame of mind, get focused and start producing some serious results.

What can participants expect?

fat loss
muscle tone
core strength
improved cardiovascular conditioning
better blood sugar control
elevated metabolism
improved athletic performance

Our Boot Camp is for anyone who wishes to achieve the above results.

Details;

Days - Monday and Wednesday
Time - 7pm to 8pm
Dates - January 11 to March 28 (no sessions Feb. 20/22 and March 12/14)
Location - Harold Longworth Public School, 350 Longworth Ave L1C 5J5

Cost;

9 Sessions (1 x per week) - $135 plus HST = $152.55
18 Sessions (2 x per week) - $230 plus HST = $259.90

To register or for more info;

Contact info@liveinmotion.ca

Please register ASAP as spaces are limited. New members are entitled to a free trial session.

Cedar-Ridge - Your Online, Local Source for Natural Food, Health and Home Products

2012-01-03T14:43:00.001-05:00

Cedar-Ridge:

Your On-line, Local Source for Natural Food, Health and Home Products

Cedar-Ridge (CR) offers a selection of gluten free, sugar free, natural and organic food, as well as health, home and personal products.

Cedar-Ridge is committed to encouraging a shift in the way that we eat and live. Whether you are trying to change your diet or looking for better alternatives and substitute products that help you (and your family) transition to a healthier way of living, Cedar-Ridge seeks to support you.

With a growing awareness that food and product choices can have a positive or negative impact on health, Cedar-Ridge attempts to select products that are minimally processed, containing natural and whole ingredients. Cedar-Ridge advocates “Conscious Consumerism”, providing information to aid you in making informed choices. When available, ingredients as well as additional information (i.e. Canadian Company, Organic, Sweetened, Gluten Free, etc.) are listed in each product description.

Making healthier choices is a process – it takes time to change habits. With a few adjustments, a healthy lifestyle can be easy, affordable and rewarding. Cedar-Ridge provides regular cost-saving tips, information, recipes and promotions to help you along the way.

Cedar-Ridge’s prices are kept low with only a nominal delivery fee of $5 anywhere in the Durham Region. While companies like well.ca or canadaonly.ca offer free shipping, the cost to ship is buried in the price of the products. Compare and see the savings add up quickly.

Cedar-Ridge supports Canadian companies and products as well as local agriculture. CR now offers a weekly Natural Meat, Eggs and Bread Delivery Program throughout the Durham Region at a discounted rate.

Enjoy free delivery in the Durham Region when you make your first purchase with Cedar-Ridge. Use coupon code: CR-NM.

Contact us for more information:
1.877.999.2987

Cedar-Ridge@Store-Front.ca
http://www.cedar-ridge.ca/

Quick Post Holiday Nutrition/Lifestyle Ideas for Great Health

2012-01-02T12:16:00.000-05:00

A few quick ideas to help normalize your system after the holidays...

1) Lemon water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach - will help to alkalize your system. Lemons are acidic but become alkaline once they reach the bloodstream. Most 'holiday' foods are acidic and it is important to keep our bodies alkaline for good health. Will also help flush toxins from the bowels.

2) Quality fibre - it's safe to say that the digestive system is treated like a red headed step child over the holidays. Flush out your digestive system to help clear toxins. Ground flax seed with ground chia works well - about 2 to 3 tablespoons in water. Psyllium works well for some but not everyone. Remember to take lots of water.

3) Set a sleep/wake pattern (if possible with your work schedule). Irregular sleep and wake patterns have been linked closely with weight gain and fluctuating energy levels/mood. Get your body back to a sleep/wake routine ASAP.

4) Consume consistent protein and healthy fats. Your blood sugar is most likely up, down and all around. Simple carbs will do that every time. Protein and good fats digest slowly and allow your blood sugar to start to stabilize. If you have gained weight around the mid-section, love handles or under the shoulder blades you need to start paying attention to your blood sugar.

5) Set a stress management strategy. Jan/Feb are a rough time for most people. Bad weather, holiday bills and the inevitable poor play of the Toronto Maple Leafs all cause stress which leads to a variety of other health issues. How are you going to combat stress this Winter? (Hint, hint - Boot Camp)

Happy New Year and All the Best for 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See Inside Your Body. Info on Live Blood Cell Analysis - Jan 15

2011-12-30T10:45:00.000-05:00

WHAT IS LIVE BLOOD CELL ANALYSIS?

Live Blood Cell Analysis (LBCA) involves magnifying a single drop of blood to 1500 times under a microscope. The image is then fed to a monitor to allow for easier viewing and analysis. Due to a special darkfield condenser very fine structures are visible. Blood is taken from a tiny finger prick.

Disease Development

Cells are the building blocks to all of our tissues and organs and our lives depend upon their health. Cells “bath” in the blood where they receive oxygen and nutrients. The blood is also responsible for carrying waste away from the cells for elimination.

Cells can become malnourished, injured and “sick.” Toxins from sources such as processed food, pesticides, various chemicals etc. can damage cells and congest the blood. In order to maintain optimal health and prevent disease we must keep the blood clean and flowing. Cellular damage and breakdown leads to degenerative disease.

What can be detected in Live Blood Cell Analysis?

LBCA will show the state of your cells and blood and will give you a clear picture of your overall health. You will see the impact of diet and lifestyle choices. Often, it will help to uncover early signs of serious health imbalances long before symptoms are felt.

Signs of the following can be observed;

• Certain nutrition deficiencies, especially Vitamin C

• Digestive disorders, bowel toxicity, dehydration, malabsorption

• Parasites and Candida Yeast

• Organ stresses such as liver and adrenal exhaustion

• Heavy Metals and Chemicals

• Acidity

• Health and efficiency of red and white blood cells

Suggestions will be made to bring your body back into balance.

Live Blood Cell Microscopy is performed by Anna Midolo who is a Certified Nutritional Consultant, Registered Nutritional Consultant and Certified Live Blood Cell Microscopist.

Appointments are available every 30 minutes from 11am until 3:30pm. Cost is $85 plus HST. Please email info@liveinmotion.ca to reserve your time slot or for more information.

New Year's Resolutions Don't Work. Start Finding Real Solutions Now

2011-12-26T11:15:00.000-05:00

I personally believe that most New Year's Resolutions are BS. Resolutions are usually fueled by desperation, guilt and a busy mind. When we set a New Years resolution it gives our brain a chance to say "It will be ok later." The typical events of the holidays can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety. Our minds want to alleviate those feelings, hence the resolution.

The issue is that none of the obstacles that prevent people from getting lean and healthy have been solved. A new Years Resolution will not solve scheduling issues, lack of long term focus, lack of clear goals, lack of fitness and nutrition knowledge or motivation problems.

The first step is to sit down and clarify your goals on paper. Don't write "I want to be healthy." Write out specifics and start coming up with some real solutions.

Our programs are designed to help you make a serious lifestyle change with some effort and determination on your part...

Winter Boot Camp 2 x per week on Mon/Weds @ 7pm. Add another workout later in the week and you are headed in the right direction. Jan 11 start date. Cost effective and all you need to do is show up and be ready to work.
Yoga for Stress Release, Flexibility, Blood Flow and many other benefits. Tues evenings
Nutritional Cooking Classes. This is a skill that most people need to learn. Our classes teach you real life recipes that you can use as staples every week for health and fat loss. Last Saturday of every month at 11am or privately in your home.
Men's Weight Loss Programs. Serious weight loss for guys that are committed to making a change.
Live Blood Cell Analysis. Want to look inside your body? See a tiny blood sample magnified on a TV screen to see your state of health. Well worth it and often leads to increased motivation. Booking for Sunday, Jan 15.

If you are serious about making a change in 2012 contact me at jason@liveinmotion.ca for more info.

Make Stress Management a Priority through Yoga - Registration Has Started

2011-12-22T10:18:00.002-05:00

Most people we come across in everyday life are struggling with stress management. When your mind races, constantly thinking of tasks to be done it leads to the release of stress hormones which cause weight gain. More than ever, calming the mind needs to become part of your arsenal to become lean and healthy.

Why not consider Yoga? Think of the benefits - deep breathing, pulling O2 into the body, flexibility, blood flow, injury prevention, better frame of mind.....the list goes on.

Our Yoga classes are designed to help you accomplish all of the above in a cost effective manner and a positive environment....

Start Date: January 17 for 8 Weeks
Day: Tuesdays
Time: 7 to 8pm
Location: Clarington Wellness Path in Bowmanville
Cost: $84.75 taxes incl.

Contact me at lisa@liveinmotion.ca for details or to register. Room is available for 8-10 participants. Spots are filling quick so please contact me ASAP if interested. Thank you.

Unique Upcoming Programs for 2012! Real Results!

2011-12-21T10:15:00.003-05:00

I'm not a fan of all the ridiculous hype used in the Fitness industry. I constantly see phrases such as "Lose those Holiday pounds!" or "Burn off those Christmas calories!" Honestly, phrases like these annoy the hell out of me.

What I am a fan of is REAL RESULTS! Making a lifestyle change is hard work - plain and simple. Human beings have a very difficult time changing habits. It takes commitment and focus but the results are worth it. Sometimes we need to get out of our own way.

We've designed our upcoming 2012 programs with RESULTS in mind. We feel if a client is going to pay good money then they deserve a professionally run, results orientated program.

Our newest addition is our Intensive Men's Weight Loss Program. I'm looking for 6 men in Clarington that want to focus hard on dropping serious weight in 2012. Here's what you get....

18 Sessions of Boot Camp. Mon/Weds @ 7pm. Serious fat burning sessions. No gimmicks
A workout program for other training days.
4 Group Nutrition Sessions. These are designed to help you break through mental barriers that keep you in your old lifestyle and for other group members to push and support each other.
2 Group Cooking Lessons - Everyday Meals for Fat Loss and Tasty Snacks for Fat Loss
Unlimited Phone and Email Support

Cost is $399 if registed by January 4th - Save $40. Start date is January 11.
If you are serious about making a change contact me at jason@liveinmotion.ca or 905-439-8401

More upcoming programs to follow...

Why Raw Sprouts May be the Riskiest Food in Your Grocery Store

2011-10-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

Source:
Everybody knows that undercooked ground beef is risky. But there is one innocent looking food that is probably riskier: Raw sprouts. Mike Doyle, director of the Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia has been quoted as saying "I consider sprouts to be among the most risky foods sold at retail".

How could this be? How could innocent crunchy, juicy, delicious sprouts, full of nutrients and beneficial compounds, be dangerous? Because they are grown differently than any other vegetable, in an environment practically ideal for bacteria.

Let's get a close look at the problem and consider solutions.
In June 2011 vegetable sprouts from Germany contaminated with bacteria killed more than 30 people and sickened more than 3,000, and the outbreak has still not run its course.
The survivors had more than tummy aches. Many of their kidneys shut down, many have anemia, many were hospitalized, many were near death, and there almost certainly were thousands more who never reported their illness and just gutted it out at home.

In Germany it was Escherichia coli O104:H4 on the sprouts. Sometimes it is Escherichia coli O157:H7, sometimes it is Listeria, sometimes it is Bacillus cereus, but most often it is Salmonella on sprouts. Tangy tasty radish sprouts also caused one of the world's largest food-borne illness outbreaks in Japan in 1996, sickening about 10,000 people (that we know of), many of them children. In the US there have been at about 40 sproutbreaks since 1990 according to Bill Marler, a personal injury attorney who specializes in food-borne illness.

Mark Bittman of the New York Times interviewed Dr. David Acheson, an MD who was the chief medical officer in Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition at the FDA. He said "only 5% of food-borne illness is linked to big outbreaks 95% is sporadic". He told me Bittman that there are 1.5 million cases of salmonella in the US each year, and few are linked to outbreaks. Marler and Doyle and the Center for Disease Control and other safety experts only know when there is an "outbreak", when many people get sick and when they go to a doctor and when their doctor does the right tests and then reports the results to the authorities.

Some probably thought they had the "24-hour flu". Well there is no such flu. Look it up in WebMD. Zero hits. If you had the flop sweats and were on the toilet for a day or three, you probably had a food-borne illness caused by something you ate perhaps as long as a week ago. That's one of the reasons it takes so long to trace the cause of an outbreak.

FDA says "If you purchase a sandwich or salad at a restaurant or delicatessen, check to make sure that raw sprouts have not been added".

What makes sprouts risky

Sprouts are seeds that have just begun to grow, usually less than a week old. Inside every seed is a "germ", a sort of a baby plant, waiting for water and warmth to germinate. This is not a bad germ. It is part of the seed. Sprouts are easy to grow, and many people do it at home, you just soak the seeds in warm water until the germ is awakened, then rinse the seeds daily keeping them wet, and preferably warm and dark. So how do they turn into high risk disease vectors?

Alfalfa is a grass, that grows just like your lawn, but in a big field, and when you don't cut it, it produces lovely lavender flowers that eventually are fertilized and go to seed. The plant reproduces itself by developing scores of new seeds per plant, and each seed contains the germ of another alfalfa plant. But the seeds can be contaminated right there in the field and it is pretty hard to prevent it.

The sources of contamination are myriad. Critters are a strong possibility. Birds flying over, rabbits munching on the green shoots, deer grazing in the field, raccoons, field mice, rats, even feral hogs can poop in the fields and it is impossible to prevent them. Heck, sometimes farm workers are the source. I know we want perfectly safe food for our children, but as long as food is grown outdoors it is impossible to prevent unwanted intruders.

Another possible source of pathogens is water. Rain is pretty safe, but irrigation may not be. Lakes, streams, and wells can host the bad guys easily. They can come from improperly treated human waste in sewage or seepage from septic tanks. It can come from runoff from livestock pastures, where rainwater mixes with manure and drains into the water supply. It can come from fertilizer made from manure that has not been properly pasteurized. And it is hard to pasteurize manure. Manure, of course, is the fertilizer of choice for organic farmers, so organic seeds may, in fact, be more risky than others.

It can be amplified in water tanks or hoses where the bacteria can continue to reproduce. The problem is greater in areas that have less control over pollution such as third world countries that sell to the US market.

Once the bugs are on the seed and in the seed, yes, they can get down into the seed where they cannot be washed away, they can survive in a dormant state for weeks. They can even get down past the shell and into the germ. Then the seeds are harvested, mixed together in hoppers, and thus the seeds of a single plant that had bird poop on it can be distributed widely among millions of clean seeds. They are often then bagged in cloth, and stored in warehouses or sent overseas in the holds of ships where mice and rats have a chance to do their business on the seeds

So why aren't things like celery seeds used in our potato salad dangerous? Because the microbial load, which means the number of microbes, is usually very small on seeds. Even if you ingest them, there are usually not enough, and they don't grow fast enough in our gut to do us any harm. Many spice companies, knowing that they sell a product that is easily contaminated, treat their seeds and leaves with a special grade of radiation that sterilizes the product.

The problem is when the microbial load gets heavy. When microbes reproduce in a lab, they can double in 20 minutes, so within a few hours they can reach a deadly level. And that's why sprouts are uniquely dangerous when compared to other vegetables. Sprouts are grown indoors in a warm room. The seeds are soaked in water for up to 12 hours. The seeds can absorb up to three times its weight in water in this first phases. The seeds and water are stirred often to make sure they are all soaking properly, so if there are unwanted bacteria in the soup, they are spread among the whole mass. Warm water speeds the germination of the seed. The problem is, warm water also awakens the dormant bacteria.

Sprouting systems are essentially incubators, and it is very hard to prevent microbes from growing. They've tried chlorinated water and other purifying systems with only limited success. The problem is that the bad guys get down past the surface into the flesh of the seed. Germs get into the germ in a manner of speaking. A solution may yet be found, and believe me, people in the sprout biz have tried just about everything.
Finally, the wet sprouts are bagged and shipped to stores. They are chilled to keep them from growing too large, and that inhibits both the sprouts and bacteria. But it doesn't kill them. If the truck's AC is on the fritz, if they sit on the loading dock a while, or if they sit outdoors at the farmer's market too long, things can start growing again. A food safety scientist I know calls the packaging a "culture chamber". According to the scientists at FDA "Rinsing sprouts first will not remove bacteria". And before you know it, people are falling face down in their salads.

Admittedly German authorities never found the smoking gun. All the contaminated sprouts had been eaten or destroyed by the time they got to the organic farm that probably grew them, but epidemiological research showed that it is highly likely that all the victims had eaten sprouts. Regardless, it doesn't diminish the fact that sprouts are risky, especially to children, the elderly, and the immune compromised.

Growing at home is only slightly safer

It is easy and fun to grow sprouts at home and there are scores of companies that sell kits. But the risk is only slightly less. You can start with an impressive range of tasty seeds. The first catalog I found offered this enticing array in their customer favorites list: Adzukis, alfalfa, almonds, amaranth, arugula, barley, broccoli, clover, cress, dill, fenugreek, garbanzos, garlic, groats, kamut, lentils, millet, mung beans, oats, peanuts, peas, pumpkins, quinoa, radish, rye, sesame, spelt, sunflower, and wheat. There are many more options.
But the procedure is the same: Soak, rinse, grow. The home sprouter is subject to the same concerns as the commercial operation: Contaminated seeds, ideal growing conditions for both sprouts and their unsavory passengers. And the risk isn't much lower if you buy from an organic farmer right around the corner whose kids go to school with yours and they are always immaculately groomed. In 1987, Harmon et al recovered Bacillus cereus from 57% of commercially sold alfalfa, mung bean, and wheat seeds.

The only reduction in risk is that you usually are growing small batches, so there is a slightly smaller chance that there will be a bad seed or three.

How big is the risk?

Some say that the risk is much less than eating burgers, but that's because we eat so much more hamburger than sprouts. And most of that is cooked properly. Nobody knows the odds for sure, but I'll guess that it is probably less than driving your car, and probably more than eating eating raw burger.
If this number of deaths and illnesses were caused by terrorists, governments and the populace would be willing to spare no expense to cure the problem. But many people who love sprouts seem to be in denial, touting their taste and health benefits, and as I have learned in writing about the subject, they are having difficulty understanding the real risk.

Whose fault is it and what can be done?

E-coli is more common in cattle than in sprouts. There are dozens of strains, and most are harmless, but some glom onto your intestines and grow and produce toxins. There are some, like Dr. David Katz, who want to place blame on the meat industry for this. But remember, runoff from livestock is only one potential source of the bug. Bambi, Porky, Bugs, Tweetie, Mickey & Minnie, and other cute little critters who refuse to use sanitary stations to do their business can easily be the source.
Marler told Bittman that "Maybe somewhere in the far distant past, before we started feeding grain to cows, these shiga toxins weren't in cows. And maybe because of a higher acid content in the gut these bugs evolved to become pathogenic. There isn't a lot of good science on this, and there have been studies that have gone either way in whether feeding grass to cows will create a lower level of pathogenic E. coli in their guts. What you can say is that cows fed DDGS [Distiller's Dried Grains with Solubles from ethanol production] may have a higher level than cows that weren't fed them. If you're anti-CAFO [Concentrated Animal Feeding

Operations commonly called "factory farms"] and anti-corn subsidies, you jump from that study to 'get rid of this and you get rid of e-coli,' and it would be great if things were that simple but they're not."
But attacking the meat industry is not likely to solve the problem. We are not going to be able to ban meat or significantly reduce consumption. People love to eat meat and will not likely give it up in significant numbers. In fact, the trend is going the other way as meat consumption is rising around the world.

That cow has left the barn. E-coli is in the soil, and water. It likely has been there a long time, and it will not go away in the visible future.

The alternative to CAFOs is to grow livestock free in pastures where they can eat grass. But the all poop. We can't put cattle in diapers. And the microbial populations in that manure gets into the water table, rivers, streams, lakes, and wells.

Some try to blame big ag like ConAgra, ADM, or Monsanto, but the sad fact is that many of the sprout growers are small family operations. I fear they are in an endangered industry.

The FDA, which regulates sprouts, and the USDA which regulates meat, can mandate more controls on pollution and inspections. Marler proposes that sprouts be given the raw milk treatment: Have the Feds make them illegal for interstate commerce. Of course this will not keep them out of intrastate commerce or home growing, but it would go a long way to protecting the public. Not likely in this political climate where mandates are a dirty word, even if they save lives. Just before Republicans took control of the House, the Obama administration got a new Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 through that will help with more funds for inspections, but Republicans want it repealed. Even so, the strain found in Germany is not on the wanted list in the US, and hardly anybody tests for it.

Another possibility is that groceries will stop selling sprouts. In May 2010, tainted alfalfa sprouts were sold by Walmart and 22 people got sick. Walmart should take the lead and remove sprouts from the shelves the same as they would remove risky toys.

Irradiation will clean them up, but surveys show the public clearly doesn't like the concept of irradiation, and, despite the fact that it is approved in more than 40 countries, there are some who argue it is dangerous, or that it alters the flavor and nutrition.

The one solution that is foolproof: Throughly cook your sprouts. Cooking kills the bad guys.

Will you still eat raw sprouts?

Now you have the facts. Still want to eat raw sprouts? Serve them to grandma and the kids? In the words of Dirty Harry "You've got to ask yourself one question. 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do you punk?"

What is Wrong with Grains?

2011-10-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

As you probably know, we’ve been eating grains, refined or whole, only since the beginning of agriculture some 10 000 years ago. The problem is that our genes where formed about 2 million years ago and haven’t changed much since then, nor did our digestive systems. Eating structurally and chemically different foods is therefore more often than not asking for problems. Grains are miles away from what our bodies should be processing.

In fact, grains aren’t really a good thing for any mammal. We’re better off leaving them to the birds, who have a system adapted to them.

The problem is that our food system is so skewed in the wrong direction that everybody now thinks that grains, especially whole grains, are healthy and nutritious. Grains, a food group that we didn’t eat for 97% of our human existence are now at the bottom of the USDA food pyramid with a recommended 6 to 11 servings per day. This is amazingly wrong!

Be aware that the reason why governments pushed grains in the first place where economical. They are cheap to produce (although not without environmental costs), they can be stored for much longer and they can be sold overseas much more easily. In fact, it’s now one of the few things that the US successfully sells overseas, so I wouldn’t count on them to stop promoting them as the healthiest thing around. Sad but true!
Now on to why exactly grains are probably one of the worst mistakes human kind made.

High carbohydrate intake and elevated insulin

Chronically elevated insulin levels is indeed the number one problem we now have as a society. In a few words, blood sugar as to stay between a very narrow range, otherwise you would die. Insulin’s main job is to lower blood sugar levels after you consume any form of sugar or carbohydrate (they’re converted to sugar anyway). When insulin as to deal with so much sugar that it doesn’t know what to do with it anymore, it stores it as fat. Also, when insulin is always high, inflammation begins and cells become resistant to insulin, so your pancreas as to produce even more of it. When your cells have become resistant to insulin, you’ve become diabetic. This is the new epidemic of westernized countries that we also call the metabolic syndrome.
Guess what, the main food source of carbohydrate in out diet are grains (wheat, corn, rye, oats, barley, rice…). Breads ans pastas are mostly made of wheat. Without grains, people wouldn’t get fat and wouldn’t have high insulin levels. Try to get 300g, US’s recommended daily intake of carbs, with vegetables and fruits. You’ll have to eat buckets of them.

Bread, cookies, cakes, crackers, rice, pasta, pastries and breakfast cereals are all staples and consumed at almost every meal by almost everybody. This leads to a high carbohydrate load at every meal and this is why people get hungry all the time and have so much fluctuation in their energy levels (blood sugar levels are unstable).

Your grand-mother knew that potatoes and pastas are fattening, maybe we should listen to her wise words.
Don’t worry, replacing carbs by fat sources will not kill you. For all human evolution, we’ve been eating animal meat and fat with some vegetables, fruits and nuts in the mix and yet observations demonstrate that caveman was lean, strong and healthy.

Gluten, lectins and phytates, three poisons you can live without

Living organisms all develop ways to protect themselves against preys and invaders. It’s the basis of our survival mechanisms. Animals can usually run or attack, but plants have to find another way. In fact, most plants contain some form of toxins so animals can’t eat too much of them before getting sick.
The only part of a plant that want s to be eaten are fruits, and this is not without a purpose. Fruits contain seeds that we and other animals can’t digest so we evacuate them elsewhere and help propagate the plant to new horizons. It’s a fair partnership after all. It’s not by accident that plants produce fruits, it takes up most of its resources do to so.

Grains are not different from most plants and in certain regards they’re much worse. Grains are the offsprings of soon to become grasses so they need even more protection in the beginning to ensure other species stay far away. Other then that, they also contain toxins that inhibit their own growth until they have what they need to grow (soil and water).

Gluten

Gluten is, arguably, the worst offender. You can find gluten in wheat, rye and barley. Don’t forget that wheat is absolutely everywhere today. You probably already know that those who have Celiac disease can’t have even a tiny bit of it or else they’re in for big trouble.

What you might not know though is that 30% of the population have noticeable amounts of antigiadin in their stools. Antigiadin are antibodies secreted when the body sees giadin, one of gluten’s constituent, as an intruder. Having the antibody in your stools means that your body is actively fighting an intruder and that you already have a low level of chronic inflammation, the source of all modern diseases.

Gluten also has this weird ability to mimic certain proteins and to make its way into your cells, then wreaking havoc and making you develop autoimmune diseases where the body attacks itself (Chron’s disease is an example).

Lectins

Lectins are other toxins present in all grains that cause their load of problems. First, they damage the gut lining and a damaged gut lining is an inflamed gut lining that will have difficulty absorbing nutrients. This also leads the way to colon cancer. Lectins also causes leptin resistance, which means that your hunger signal is suppressed and that you’ll be hungry even when your body has had more than enough calories.

Phytates

This other set of toxins, also found in lesser quantities in nuts and seeds, bind to nutrients and robs them from your body. You can then think twice when you think that eating grains will feed you loads of nutrients. Phytates make a good job of making them less bio-available. All this list of nutrients on a bag of sliced bread is only a small proportion of what your body will really be able to get.

Do you think that grains can beat any vegetable or fruit nutrition wise or that you’ll find some nutrients only in them? The answer is NO!

Conclusion

I sincerely hope that this article helped shed some light on the problems caused by this group of food that is so popular.
Of all the habits that you can develop, dropping the grains off your diet is probably the one that will pay off the most.

Recipe: Portobello burgers

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

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I am sticking with the theme of quick and easy recipes as this good weather continues. The other night I hosted some friends and we were all really in the mood to be outside. When this happens, I almost always resort to the BBQ. The menu called for simple beef hamburgers atop a lightly seasoned Portabello mushroom. Tomatoes and avocado were the perfect toppers, along with a spiced mustard. I will especially enjoy making this meal again later in the season when the vegetables from my garden are ready. I completed the meal with a side of mashed sweet potatoes, which just so happens to be a recipe I posted not too long ago.

Whenever I am making hamburgers, I make sure that the ground beef is not too lean. Reason being, I do not like to season the meat too much, so the more fat on the meat, the more flavor. That being said, by no means do you have to limit your seasoning. Pretty much anything goes! I will share with you what I did; however, feel free to add your own twist.

In the recipe, I didn’t specify any specific topping to use with those burgers, but the reason is to let you choose what you prefer and what you have available. Almost anything goes. A good homemade condiment like ketchup or mustard is a great choice, so is a homemade mayonnaise. As for the vegetables, tomatoes, lettuce and avocados are great. I also personally really like a sliced, crunchy and naturally fermented dill pickle.

Portobello burger recipe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients for the hamburgers

Makes 6 to 8 patties

3lbs of ground beef (not too lean ifyou want a very flavorful patty);
3 eggs;
2 cloves garlic, minced;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Ingredients for the portobello mushrooms

6-8 large Portabello mushroons;
A few tablespoons of olive oil (the amount will depend on how large your mushrooms are, so start with a little and add more as needed);
2 cloves garlic, minced;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation for the hamburgers

Place the ground beef in a large bowl and add the eggs. Combine until the eggs are evenly mixed through.
Mix in the garlic and season with salt and pepper.
Form 6 to 8 patties that are slightly smaller than the mushroom caps so they can fit on top once cooked.
Place on a preheated grill and cook each side for about 5-7 minutes (the time it takes will depend on the temperature of your grill. I cooked them at medium-low for approximately this time).

Preparation for the portobello mushrooms

Rinse the mushrooms and pat them dry.
Remove the mushroom stems. The reason for this is because you want your mushroom cap to take the form of the hamburger bun. Do not discard, they can be great for many other recipes, or you can grill them along with the caps.
Coat the caps in olive oil and then season with salt and pepper. Do not let the oil penetrate for long, as you will notice the mushrooms will start to get soggy.
Place on the preheated grill and cook on each side for about 5-7 minutes.

Now all there is left to do is stack your patty on top of your mushroom and add any toppings you desire. There you have it! The complete Paleo hamburger. Enjoy!

Recipe: Green Chicken Masala

2011-10-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

Chicken tikka masala is a curry made with roasted chicken and a red or orange sauce. This recipe differs from the traditional tikka masala in its use of a paste made with fresh cilantro and mint for a green chicken masala. Similarly to the traditional tikka masala though, the combination of Indian spices give a nice and spicy taste to this dish, something not too much unlike other curries.

It should not be confused with chicken marsala, which is an Italian dish made with mushrooms and marsala wine. A great Italian chicken marsala recipe can be found in the cookbook.

This recipe calls for quite a few ingredients, but is really quick and simple to prepare. It should take no more than 30 minutes from start to finish to prepare. Of course, you can substitute the chicken thighs with pork or beef for an equally great result. Beef should give the dish an even bolder taste. Choose tender cuts of meat since the meat cooks quickly, contrary to a stew where the meat cooks slowly and tougher cuts can be used.

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces;
1 cup full-fat coconut milk;
1 onion, finely chopped;
1/4 cup lemon juice;
1/2 cup water or chicken stock;
4 garlic cloves, minced;
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves;
1 cup fresh mint leaves;
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped coarsely;
1 1/2 tsp turmeric;
1/2 tsp cinnamon;
1/2 tsp ground cardamom;
1/8 tsp ground cloves;
3 tbsp coconut oil or clarified butter;
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation

Heat a large skillet over a medium heat and add the onion with the cooking fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the onion starts to soften.
Add the chicken thighs as well as the turmeric to the skillet and continue cooking, still while stirring occasionally, for about 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the lemon juice, water or stock, cilantro, mint, jalapeño and garlic in a blender or food processor and process to obtain a smooth puree.
After the chicken has cooked for about 7 minutes, add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. Cook for another minute.
Pour in the coconut milk, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and add the herb puree.
Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is well cooked and tender.

Choosing and cooking meat The butcher shop

2011-10-04T16:04:00.000-04:00

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Lets not kid ourselves, one of the nicest things about the Paleo diet is the fact that we can eat unlimited amounts of meat. Red meat, fatty meat, anything will do as long as it has been fed and treated properly. Like so many others following the conventional wisdom way of thinking, I use to think that high quantity of fatty red meat would cause a quantity of problems latter in life.

I’ve now learned better and know that meat and fat is not what’s causing all the deseases we’ve burduned with today or else how would we’ve thrived for millions of years as a specie eating mostly game meat and vegetables.

Now, I think conventional wisdom has moved us so far off red meat that we don’t know how to choose a good cut or how to prepare it anymore.
When starting out with the Paleo diet, I was only agile with simple cuts of chicken and pork. I now know better and I’m not shy to buy cuts of meat that need roasting, stewing, poaching, braising or grilling. So much flavors are available to us, it’s a shame to eat the same things over and over again.
As a rule of thumb, the parts of an animal that move the most will require the longest and slowest cooking. Those will reward you though with a deep flavor and melt in the mouth meat when cooked properly. On an animal like a pork, a lamb or a beef, those parts are usually the shins and the shoulders.
Try to choose your meat with the bone still in as the bone will render great flavor and nutrients when cooked slowly in a liquid with meat attached to it. If you grill or roast meat with the bone, you can then use those bones to make delicious stock.

How to choose great meat from your butcher

When choosing meat at your butcher’s, other than how it was fed (choose naturally fed and grass fed) or treated (choose free-range and antibiotic free), also look at the meat your buying and look for cuts that look dry, have a deep red to purplish color and are marbled with fat with an extra creamy fat layer on top. Of course, with pork or chicken, it won’t be marbled, but good cuts of pork should have a good layer of fat on the exterior (exception made for lean cuts like the tenderloin). The more fat a cut of meat has, the more moisture it will hold when cooked. You’ll want to choose meat that look dry because wet meat often hasn’t been hung long enough and will lose most of its juices in the cooking process. Hanging an animal makes the muscle fibers break down and the meat gets more tender.

The different cooking methods

For almost all cooking methods, it’s best to have your meat at room temperature before cooking it so it cooks faster and more evenly. Also, most cooking temperatures given in recipes are based on room temperature cuts of meat, so you’ll have more accurate results if you start this way.

Roasting

Great method for tender cuts of meat like racks of lamb, pork loin, poultry or beef ribs, rump and sirloin roasts. You basically put your meat in a hot oven (about 425 F) for the first 15 minutes and then lower the temperature to around 350 F for the rest of the cooking process making sure to baste the meat from time to time. Tender red meat can be underdone to your taste, but chicken and pork should be well cooked through.

Slow-roasting

Basically the same method as roasting, but with an oven at a lower 300 F to 325 F and for a longer period of time. This method is very well suited for cuts that are a bit too tough for regular roasting like lamb and pork shoulder and pork belly.

Pot-roasting

A method that is suitable for the same cuts of meat has slow-roasting. You brown your meat in a pot on all sides (this helps keep the juices inside the meat) and then put the pot with the meat in the oven to roast and add a liquid like stock halfway through the cooking process. You can also add red wine in place of the stock if you allow it in your diet. You can baste the meat with the liquid is often as you want.

Pan-roasting

A bit like pot-roasting, but for tender cuts of meat and without a liquid. This method is well-suited for cuts that are tender, but are still too thick to simply fry like a steak. You brown the meat on all sides in a pan and then put it in the oven for the rest of the cooking process.

Frying and stir-frying

Those two methods are probably the most used methods and are well suited for all kinds of tender cuts of meat like chicken breasts, steaks, chops, ribs and tenderloins.

For frying, you heat up a pan to a medium-high heat and then put some kind of healthy fat (coconut oil, ghee or other animal saturated fat that won’t burn) on the meat or in the pan and cook the meat while turning every now and then until cooked through.
For stir-frying, you cut your tender piece of meat in thin slices and put them in a sizzling hot wok with a fat that’s heat resistant and then stir non stop until your meat is cooked.

Grilling

What’s better than grilling a tender piece of meat during the summer time outside on the grill with friends and family? Simply sear your meat on the hot part of the grill and then let the rest of the cooking process happen on a medium-hot part of the grill. Make sure your piece if meat is well browned before turning so it doesn’t stick and turn it with tongs so the meat doesn’t get pierced which would make the juices run out of the meat.

Poaching

A good way to cook tender meat like fish and chicken, poaching will also produce a delicious stock that can be used for the sauce that will go with the final dish. You can poach whole chickens and whole fishes and the rule is to have a tight lid that will cook even the parts that are outside the liquid with the steam it produces. Keep the temperatures low and make sure that the liquid is no more than simmering.

Stewing and braising

This method is used for tougher cuts of meat like shoulders, shins or beef brisket and will produce a very flavorful and tender end product when done properly. Simply put your meat and a liquid like stock or water on the stove top, in the oven or in a crock-pot. Add tough vegetables (onions, carrots and celery are a good aromatic combination), herbs and spices and let cook at a low temperature until the meat is fork tender.
With braising, you usually use a whole cut of meat instead of having it cut in small pieces and you don’t cover the meat entirely with the liquid letting the steam between the lid and the liquid do to rest.

Labour Day – Do We Leave The Summer Fitness Behind?

2011-09-10T09:08:00.000-04:00

Good Morning Everyone! Happy Saturday! We did a guest post over at Vallarta Escapes here is what we had to say :)

Each year we try something new to get ourselves out of our fitness rut so this year I decided to dig a little more into the various ways to retrain my body after injury and decided that a bootcamp of sorts is the best way for me to challenge myself . I’ve asked my latest clients who run their own bootcamps in Mexico (and soon to be other Caribbean destinations) away from their home back in Ontario, Canada.
Here is what Lisa and Jason, owners of Live in Motion ( www.liveinmotion.ca ) had to tell me in my learning curve about bootcamps at destination

“boot camp”

“Boot camps are a wonderful way to participate in group activity as a single person, with friends or even family members. Creating just the right atmosphere for any type of client!! This is also a great way for someone to meet new people with the same interests from other parts of the world. Boot camps offer a variety of training techniques including building the aerobic and anaerobic system! This is done through some very short sprints, stair climbing, speed and agility exercises as well sometimes through trails in the local forest or along the beach front! For some it’s about building up their cardiovascular system to enhance a sport or even work on building up strength so the participant doesn’t feel out of breath walking up a flight of stairs or even carrying their groceries from the car! WHAT a great way to spend time doing something you enjoy while receiving the benefits of exercise!

Sessions also offer muscle endurance, strength and flexibility. Some participants report strength gains in their abdominal muscles, legs, back and even report a newly found tight BUTT!!! Let’s not forget weight loss!! Many boot campers brag how much weight they have lost and how their energy levels have improved. Participating in a week long camp will allow the individual to improve or continue their ability to train in a safe monitored environment while enjoying the beautiful scenery of Mexico!

Boot camp sessions can take place in or out doors depending on the environment! Participants love the outdoors because they get to enjoy the fresh air, the beautiful city and the scenery at the beach.

Over all it changes the atmosphere of a work out that is constantly done inside all winter or in stuffy gyms!!

Traveling, learning new things, taking part in group exercise and yoga, eating right and coming home with a newly rejuvenated body is the perfect gift you can give yourself. “

So this year don’t let the winter season take away the blast of results you can get from a bootcamp! Try taking part in one at a destination and soak in the sun and all the healthy goodness!

7 Reasons to Try Interval Training

2011-08-31T10:10:00.000-04:00

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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.

Back to Basics Series Part V : Recommended Product

2011-08-26T09:00:00.002-04:00

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:

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.
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.
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

Back to Basics Series Part lV : Health & Nutrition Tips

2011-08-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

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

Back to Basics Series Part lll - Recipe of the Month

2011-08-20T09:00:00.002-04:00

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.

Back to Basics Series Part ll

2011-08-18T09:00:00.003-04:00

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

Back to Basics Series

2011-08-15T11:16:00.001-04:00

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

Is All Butter Created Equal?

2011-07-25T11:02:00.000-04:00

The embrace (some might say exaltation) of butter is, in some respects, what sets the Primal eating plan apart from strict paleo. It is essentially pure animal fat with only minor traces of dairy proteins and sugars remaining, and for that reason I consider it a worthwhile staple. But, to answer the question posed in the title, not all butter is created equal. Most of us are in agreement that the nutritional content of the animal’s flesh depends on the content of its diet, and the same goes for butter.

We’ve covered similar ground with other foods – olive oil, cheese, chocolate, to name a few – but butter’s special. A quick glance around the forum and other online paleo/Primal/real food communities reveals that people are mad for butter. Perhaps it’s because we’re subject to a steady barrage of anti-butter propaganda from day one on this earth; perhaps it’s due to the fact that the stuff tastes like heaven and goes with nearly everything. Whatever the reason, butter knowledge is important.

Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed

The eternal battle rages on. While the grass-fed camp may be outnumbered, they are plucky, pugnacious fighters with superior armament, training, and tactics. Once they finish off grain-fed butter in Spartans-at-Thermopylae fashion, I expect them to make short work of margarine. Here’s why it’s so lopsided:

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Content

CLA is a funny fatty acid. It’s actually a trans-fat, but it’s a good, naturally occurring one. Instead of a group of candle wax makers creating trans-fats in industrial vats by hydrogenating cottonseed oil into disgusting, technically edible faux-butter, the special digestive systems of grass-fed ruminants produce CLA internally. The resulting trans-fat – which has been linked to superior heart health, suppression of tumors, reduced belly fat (although in pigs, I’m not sure that’s what we’re after!), and greater fat loss in the obese and overweight – pops up in the flesh and dairy of the animal. As far as cows go, pasture feeding leads to dairy CLA levels 3-5 times that of grain-fed cattle (PDF).

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Vitamin Content

We’re drawn to colorful things, especially foods. Bright berries, verdant greens, multicolored fruits and peppers – these are the naturally occurring foods with the most phytonutrients. In fact, the actual dyes responsible for providing color to vegetation, like the blue in blueberry, are also usually antioxidants. Funny how that works out, eh? The same is true for butter. You ever notice how grass-fed butter actually looks like butter? It’s a deep yellow, sometimes bordering on orange, whereas grain-fed butter is white and waxy. It’s yellow because it has more carotene (think carrot, think orange) and Vitamin A. It’s got more carotene because it comes from cows that eat fresh vegetation rich in the stuff. From pasture to ruminant to digestive tract to butterfat to butter to you. Grain-fed? From the study I just linked, even back in 1933 they understood that “the oil cakes and cereals in common use are incapable of bringing about this result” of yellow, vitamin-rich butter.

Vitamin K2, in case you weren’t aware, appears to reduce, prevent, or even counteract arterial plaque, and it helps the body use calcium correctly and effectively. Vitamin K2 is another vital component of grass-fed butter. As Dr. Weston Price observed, only cows subsisting on fresh green grass produced butter imbued with significant levels of the all-important “Activator X,” which most people agree is vitamin K2. Cow stomach fermentation turns K1 (found in leafy greens, like kale, chard, spinach, and, yes, leaves of grass) into K2, which then shows up in the dairy fat. How much Vitamin K1 do you think there is in corn? Not much at all (PDF).

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Fatty Acid Composition

Whether it’s grass-fed or grain-fed, butter is rich in saturated (about 2/3) and monounsaturated (just under 1/3) fat. The rest is polyunsaturated, but this is where grass-fed and grain-fed really differ. Cows raised on pasture produce milk fat with an omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 1. Yes, equal amounts. A balance. Grain-fed cows, on the other hand, produce a ratio tilted heavily toward omega 6. It’s true that we’re talking about relatively miniscule amounts of polyunsaturated fats here, but I prefer the balanced ratio. And if you’re putting away as much butter as I can, those insignificant amounts of omega 6 can begin to add up.

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Flavor

Flavor is usually a subjective determination. What tastes better is entirely a matter of personal opinion, right? Not in the case of butter. Grass-fed butter tastes objectively better using any parameter. Creaminess? Smooth, yellow grass-fed butter can be eaten and enjoyed like candy. Richness? Grain-fed is weak and insipid in comparison. Mouth feel? Grass-fed coats the interior (in a pleasant way), while grain-fed comes off as watery and unnatural.

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

All that said, grain-fed butter is still a better option than conventional cooking fats, like vegetable oil or margarine. I still request restaurant food to be cooked in butter, completely aware that it’s probably white as a ghost and totally grain-fed. The saturated fat in regular butter isn’t any less stable.

Grass-fed isn’t as tough to find as you might think, though. And even if it’s more expensive, it’s still cheaper than shelling out the dough for exclusively grass-fed meat. In fact, for those of you who can’t regularly eat pastured meat, eating lean cuts of conventional meat cooked in a quality grass-fed butter is a great compromise.

Watch out for these brands near you:

A favorite, fairly easy-to-find brand is Kerrygold, an Irish dairy whose cows are all pastured and whose butter is incredible. I get mine for $2.69 at Trader Joe’s, but I’ve seen it in basic and specialty grocery stores, too (albeit for slightly higher prices). Look for the silver foil (unsalted) and gold foil (salted) packages.
Anchor butter is another tasty one. It hails from New Zealand, land of reliably grass-fed lamb, and I’ve seen it at Whole Foods for a reasonable price. If you can’t find it there, you could always order online in bulk. Just freeze the extras.

Organic Valley has a seasonal pastured, cultured, salted butter that usually appears in spring, which is when the grass is at its greenest. I’ve had it a few times. It’s good and a bit tangy, and it comes in a green foil package. Skip the regular Organic Valley stuff, which gets some grain.

Check farmers’ markets. If you’ve got a dairy stall, you’ve probably got access to good butter. Talk to the producers about the cows’ diet.

Terminology

Learn the slang that’ll help you blend in with the cool kids at the next Weston A. Price Foundation meet-up.

What is cultured butter?

Cultured butter is traditionally made from fermented, or soured, cream. It’s not actually the butterfat that ferments, but rather the trace amounts of lactose sugars present. Nowadays, though, most commercial cultured butter is “cultured” by the incorporation of bacterial cultures. “European style” butter is cultured butter.

What is “sweet butter”?

Historically, sweet cream butter came from fresh cream, rather than soured or fermented cream. Relative to cultured butter, it’s rather “sweet.” These days, it’s often just another way to describe unsalted butter. Sweet butter is better for cooking, as most recipes assume the use of unsalted butter. Also, since salt is a preservative, sweet butter tends to be fresher (since it has to be, having no preservatives).

What is clarified butter?

Heat butter until it melts, let it cool and settle, then skim off the top layer of whey protein and pour off the butterfat, leaving the casein proteins on the bottom – you’ve got clarified butter.

What about ghee?

Ghee is basically pure butterfat, rendered down and stricken of all lactose and dairy proteins. It’s ultra-clarified butter in that it reaches a temperature high enough to cook off the water and brown the milk solids, which imparts a nutty flavor to the finished product. Properly made, ghee can stay on the counter for about a year without going bad. If you’ve got one, check your local Indian grocer. They’ll have huge tubs of intensely yellow ghee for sale. Is it all grass-fed? I’ve no idea, and the rich color isn’t a reliable indicator since the color could come from the browned milk solids. Anyone know for sure?

There are clear winners and losers in life. Grass-fed butter wins handily and grain-fed loses. There’s not much more to say other than get out there and find yourself a decent source of grass-fed butter!

DATE CHANGE Live In Motion is going to Mexico this October Puerto Vallarta Fitness Getaway

2011-07-11T10:50:00.000-04:00

We apologize for re-posting the same article on our fitness getaway to Puerto Vallarta this fall but we are very excited about this and want to make sure everyone is aware of this fantastic opportunity! Please read below and click on the link at the end of the post to get more information. If you need to contact us for more information or to BOOK your trip with us please email us at info@liveinmotion.ca

Puerto Vallarta Fitness Getaway
**DATE CHANGE** October 7th - October 14th, 2011

A vacation like you’ve never experienced before! Boot Camp on the beach, Yoga overlooking the ocean, nutritious meals and much more!

If you are interested at all please let us know.

Your Fitness and Health Getaway includes:

7 days/7 nights in a beautiful Italian style villa
Nutritious meals prepared by a Holistic Chef
Morning walks on the beach
Boot Camp style training on the beach
Lots of free time to wander the city and enjoy the culture
Freedom to participate as much or as little as you please2 organized adventure tours
2 spa treatments (massage, pedicure, manicure or facial)
1 special outing including a gourmet meal

For more details about this fantastic vacation click here: http://www.liveinmotion.ca/mexicanbootcamp.html

Recipe: Fish Chowder With Dill

2011-07-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

This hearty soup is excellent for arthritis. Turnip makes a sweet, tasty broth with twice the vitamin C of potato. Tablespoon for tablespoon, dill is richer in calcium than cream.

Ingredients:
1-2 Cups Fish or Veggie Stock
1 Cup Onion - diced
4 Stalks Celery and Leaves – Finely Chopped
1 Cup Turnip – peeled and diced small
1 Tbsp Brown Rice Flour
7.5 Ounces Fish of your choice
1 Cup Peas – frozen
1 Tbsp Each – unsalted butter and crispy kelp or dulse flakes
1/2 Tsp Each – Tabasco Sauce and Ocean Salt
2 Cloves of garlic - minced
1 Cup Half and half Cream
4 Tbsp Fresh Dill – finely chopped
Dash Cayenne pepper

1) Combine first four ingredients. On medium heat, in a soup pot, heat stock with onion, celery and turnip. Cover and steam until soft.

2) In a small dish, add a little cold water to flour. Stir into soup pot. Bring soup to just boiling, then reduce heat. Add fish, peas, butter, crispy kelp and Tabasco sauce. Stir until heated through (5 min). Turn off heat and stir while adding salt, cayenne, garlic and cream.

3) Serve Immediately. If not serving immediately, remove from heat and cover, to prevent cream from curdling. Use low slow heat to reheat. Garnish with a tablespoon of fresh dill.

Source: Cooking with Herbs and Spices by Lori Nichols-Davies.

How losing sleep can make you gain weight

2011-07-04T10:39:00.000-04:00

We've always stressed to our clients the importance of overall lifestlye factors such as proper sleep and stress management for maintaining a healthy weight. Check out this quick article to see the effect that just one night of poor sleep has on your metabolism.

Source -ca.shine.yahoo.com

A recent study that appeared in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that loss of sleep can lead to weight gain, partially due to a slowed metabolism.
The really interesting part of the article is this one: "The team found that even a single night of missed sleep slowed the volunteers' metabolisms the next morning, reducing their bodies' energy expenditure for tasks like breathing and digestion by five to 20 percent, compared with the morning after a good night's sleep."

It used to be thought that missing out on sleep caused fewer calories to be burned simply because people were tired the next day and didn't want to move around as much, but according to this admittedly small study, it's decreasing the caloric burn of breathing and digestion. That's not "just because I'm tired;" that's a core metabolic decrease due to decreased sleep.

It's interesting, and reinforces the importance of getting a good night's sleep, but more on that in a moment. I think the real issue with not being properly rested and its effect on weight is the voluntary effect it has, rather than involuntary such as a somewhat-decreased metabolism. I mentioned that if you're tired, you don't want to move around much, and this can include things like skipping workouts. If you slept well and are bursting with energy, jobs get done, weights get lifting, paths get run on, and bicycles get ridden. Not so if you're exhausted.

Even more important is the effect on ingestive behavior, meaning what you eat. Focusing on healthy eating requires using your brain and your will to make the right choices. If you're tired, you're more likely to make bad, calorically dense food choices.

And here is an interesting thing about sleep that might help lower your stress: it's okay for it to be broken up. It turns out that broken sleep is the norm, but we've somehow got the idea that we're supposed to be sleeping eight hours straight every night. If we wake up in the middle of the night, it stresses us out and we can't fall back asleep, and that is a problem.

However, knowing that a brief waking period after a few hours of sleep is perfectly normal can help lower your stress about it and prevent your brain going into overdrive with thoughts of "why can't I sleep? What's wrong with me?"

So the next time you wake up in the middle of the night try thinking, This is totally normal; I do it. I'll fall back asleep soon. And it will increase the likelihood that you do.

DATE CHANGE Live In Motion is going to Mexico this October

2011-06-27T12:20:00.000-04:00

Puerto Vallarta Fitness Getaway
**DATE CHANGE** October 7th - October 14th, 2011

A vacation like you’ve never experienced before! Boot Camp on the beach, Yoga overlooking the ocean, nutritious meals and much more!

If you are interested at all please let us know.

Your Fitness and Health Getaway includes:

7 days/7 nights in a beautiful Italian style villa
Nutritious meals prepared by a Holistic Chef
Morning walks on the beach
Boot Camp style training on the beach
Lots of free time to wander the city and enjoy the culture
Freedom to participate as much or as little as you please2 organized adventure tours
2 spa treatments (massage, pedicure, manicure or facial)
1 special outing including a gourmet meal

For more details about this fantastic vacation click here: http://www.liveinmotion.ca/mexicanbootcamp.html

Client Testimonial

2011-06-23T09:35:00.000-04:00

This story is yet another example of what can be accomplished in a short period of time. While we have always stressed that fitness and health are a lifestyle, there is always something to be said for getting focused and hitting a short term goal. When Brenda and I started talking about training together for a short and intense period of time, the first thing she mentioned was that everyone around her was “constantly finding excuses to not work on their fitness and health.” One of her goals was to inspire others with her accomplishments. Based on comments from friends and family she has accomplished this and more. Despite limitations from asthma and arthritis, she was able to make big improvements in just 4 quick weeks.

Many thanks to Brenda for her efforts and determination. Thank you for the testimonial…

Background History - My name is Brenda Andringa Age 49 Diagnosed with arthritis at the age of 17 and diagnosed with asthma and allergies at the age of 37.

I walk marathons to keep the arthritis at bay and also because of my asthma I cannot run.

I really wanted to do the Live In Motion Spring/ Summer Boot Camp as I had some inches I wanted to lose. For the first time in my life, I was thinking I had limitations because of my asthma and Boot Camp may not be something I was able to do. The word “limitation” really started to bother me and I started thinking of how when I couldn’t run marathons I modified my goal and walked marathons. Maybe I could modify Boot Camp to meet my needs and still have the fun workout I wanted. I sent an email to Jason and asked if he was up for the challenge where he could modify a personal 4 week Boot Camp for me so I could lose the inches and still keep breathing.

Jason was up for the challenge and together we were able in just one short month (with 12 Boot Camp sessions) to make my limitations disappear. Jason was able to customize the Boot Camp by replacing the running with different types of fun cardio bursting exercises that kept me breathing all through the session and for the rest of the day. I was able to sleep better and not wake up with asthma attacks. I was able to lose inches and drop a dress size, make my friends envious and feel great about my accomplishments!

As an added bonus Jason also changed up my nutrient intake and eating patterns without counting calories and I was able to lose body fat as well. Jason kept me motivated and constantly challenged and encouraged me - he always wanted to hear how I felt and if I was having difficulties so he could make things better for me.

Live In Motion believes in what they are doing in the fitness industry and this comes across in how they have treated me as a client. I would recommend Jason and Lisa to anyone who feels that they have limitations. You will soon learn that Fitness is for everyone. There are no limitations, only modifications. Thank you Jason for believing in me and helping me meet my fitness goals.

Sincerely, Brenda

Tale of the Tape – 4 Weeks of Hard Work Aug 13/09 Sept 8/09
Weight: 132 lbs 124 lbs
Shoulders: 39.5” 38”
Chest: 36.5” 35”
Waist: 31.25” 29.25”
Hips: 37.5” 36.5

Fitness Tip!

2011-06-21T09:34:00.000-04:00

If you are not seeing results perhaps your body has adapted to your current routine. Here are some suggestions for breaking those stubborn plateaus…

Perform cardio first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to enhance fat burning.
Vary the speed of your repetitions. Try ultra slow on 1 set and fast on the next.
Change your combination of body parts.
Take a week off weight training to allow your body to recuperate.
Get a deep tissue massage to clear your muscles of waste products.
Throw your routine out and mix up exercises for a few weeks. Variety is good for the mind and body.

The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

2011-06-20T09:44:00.000-04:00

Fruits and veggies are an essential part of a healthy diet, but many conventional varieties contain pesticide residues.

And not all the pesticides used to kill bugs, grubs, or fungus on the farm washes off under the tap at home. Government tests show which fruits and vegetables, prepared typically at home, still have a pesticide residue.
You can reduce your exposure to pesticides by as much as 80% if you avoiding the most contaminated foods in the grocery store.

To do so, you need the latest info from the why the Environmental Working Group's "Dirty Dozen" list of foods most likely to have high pesticide residues. Since 1995, the organization has taken the government data and identified which type of produce has the most chemicals.

This year, celery takes the number one spot and both blueberries and spinach make an appearance (displacing lettuce and pears).

The best way to avoid pesticide residue on foods is to buy organic produce -- USDA rules prohibit the use of pesticides on any crop with the certified organic label.

Here's a closer look at the 2010 Dirty Dozen:

1. Celery
Celery has no protective skin, which makes it almost impossible to wash off the chemicals (64 of them!) that are used on crops. Buy organic celery, or choose alternatives like broccoli, radishes, and onions.

2. Peaches
Multiple pesticides (as many as 62 of them) are regularly applied to these delicately skinned fruits in conventional orchards. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit.

3. Strawberries
If you buy strawberries, especially out of season, they're most likely imported from countries that have less-stringent regulations for pesticide use. 59 pesticides have been detected in residue on strawberries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and pineapples.

4. Apples
Like peaches, apples are typically grown with poisons to kill a variety of pests, from fungi to insects. Tests have found 42 different pesticides as residue on apples. Scrubbing and peeling doesn't eliminate chemical residue completely, so it's best to buy organic when it comes to apples. Peeling a fruit or vegetable also strips away many of their beneficial nutrients. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include watermelon, bananas, and tangerines.

5. Blueberries
New on the Dirty Dozen list in 2010, blueberries are treated with as many as 52 pesticides, making them one of the dirtiest berries on the market.

6. Nectarines
With 33 different types of pesticides found on nectarines, they rank up there with apples and peaches among the dirtiest tree fruit. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include, watermelon, papaya, and mango.

7. Bell peppers
Peppers have thin skins that don't offer much of a barrier to pesticides. They're often heavily sprayed with insecticides. (Tests have found 49 different pesticides on sweet bell peppers.) Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include green peas, broccoli, and cabbage.

8. Spinach
New on the list for 2010, spinach can be laced with as many as 48 different pesticides, making it one of the most contaminated green leafy vegetable.

9. Kale
Traditionally, kale is known as a hardier vegetable that rarely suffers from pests and disease, but it was found to have high amounts of pesticide residue when tested this year. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include cabbage, asparagus, and broccoli.

10. Cherries
Even locally grown cherries are not necessarily safe. In fact, in one survey in recent years, cherries grown in the U.S. were found to have three times more pesticide residue then imported cherries. Government testing has found 42 different pesticides on cherries. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include raspberries and cranberries.

11. Potatoes
America's popular spud reappears on the 2010 Dirty Dozen list, after a year hiatus. America's favorite vegetable can be laced with as many as 37 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include eggplant, cabbage, and earthy mushrooms.

12. Grapes
Imported grapes run a much greater risk of contamination than those grown domestically. Only imported grapes make the 2010 Dirty Dozen list. Vineyards can be sprayed with different pesticides during different growth periods of the grape, and no amount of washing or peeling will eliminate contamination because of the grape's thin skin. Remember, wine is made from grapes, which testing shows can harbor as many as 34 different pesticides. Can't find organic? Safer alternatives include kiwi and raspberries.

2011-06-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

MARGARINE: Healthy to eat grey plastic?

“It's just like making margarine.”
This was how, many years ago, a newspaper headline described the achievement of a group of Singapore scientists who developed a new type of plastic that had special properties.
If you look at it the other way around, making margarine is “just like making plastic.”

It is highly artificial. And in recent years, there has been plenty of new scientific evidence showing this artificial butter to be extremely harmful to health. It is a major cause of heart disease the very condition that it is supposed to prevent. It has also been linked with several types of cancers and various other diseases.
In spite of this, fake, artificial butter continues to be widely promoted as a healthy product. This urgently needs to be stopped!

What we have today is entirely different from the original oleomargarine invented by a French scientist in 1870. That was done quite naturally. Today, we get a highly unnatural process called hydrogenation in which liquid vegetable oil is converted into a solid or semi-solid grease.

In the jargon of the chemicals industry, this process of turning a liquid oil into a solid or semi-solid is called plasticisation.

The manufacturing process begins with cheap vegetable oils, which probably have already been rendered harmful by the extraction process involving high temperature and petrochemical solvents such as benzene. Some of these oils, such as cottonseed oil, are not even suitable for human (nor animal) consumption.

The oil is then subjected again to extreme high temperature (about 500ºF) and pressure, and hydrogen is forced into the molecular structure to harden it. This process requires toxic substances, such as nickel oxide, which act as catalysts that enable the chemical change.

Grey, smelly grease
The end result is a smelly, greasy substance. So it is deodorised, again using high heat and chemical additives.
And do you know what is the colour in its original, “natural” form? It is grey!

Obviously, nobody would spread grey globs of grease over their bread. So the grease is bleached white and then dyed yellow. Finally, artificial flavours are mixed in to make it taste like butter.

The fact that learned doctors, nutritionists, dieticians and other health experts can proclaim such a product to be healthy only goes to show how warped modern-day thinking has become.

Dr Ancel Keys
This might have been forgivable 50 years ago. The exciting new scientific discovery at that time – by Dr Ansel Keys – was that saturated fats “cause” heart disease and so unsaturated fats such as vegetable oils became regarded as healthy.

Today, there is growing realisation that Dr Keys was badly mistaken. Humanity had been consuming predominantly saturated fats, such as butter, ghee, lard and coconut oil, for thousands of years. Yet heart disease became prevalent only after 1920 – following the Great Depression when people took to margarine on a large scale because it was much cheaper than butter.

In fact, heart disease used to be so rare that the American doctor who introduced a German-invented Electro Cardio Graph (ECG, a device for checking heart rhythm) to the US was advised by his colleagues to look for better ways to earn a living!

Heart disease was likewise rare in communities that take plenty of coconut oil and coconut products, even though coconut oil contains 92 percent saturated fats. In these communities, such as in South India, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, heart disease began to rise only after the population switched from coconut oil to margarine and other vegetable oils.

Tans fats
The “new” understanding – which has been around for some 30 years already – is that the real culprit in causing heart disease is not saturated fats, but unnatural trans fats formed during the process of hydrogenation.
It has taken a long time for this new understanding to gain acceptance. Only in 2005 has the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued a recommendation to limit the intake of trans fats. And only in 2006 will the FDA require food labels to state the amount of trans fats.

Out-moded thinking
Meanwhile, many health health “experts” remain out-moded in their thinking.
On the Singapore Medical Association website, there is an article which states: “Margarine is preferred to butter… ”

The KK Women's and Children's Hospital has, on its website, an article which advises: “Choose unsaturated margarine…”

The Health Promotion Board's website does have an article about the harm of trans fats, but it stops short of telling people not to take them. It merely recommends choosing soft margarine, which has less trans fats compared with the original, harder version.

Meanwhile, the Health Promotion Board has awarded its “Healtheir Choice” label to several brands of margarine, which contains trans fats.

All this is worrying. There is an urgent need for the HPB, other health authorities and the media to change their mindsets about margarine and trans fats. Otherwise, their misguided advice will only hasten people to their graves.

Source: http://www.stop-trans-fat.com/margarine.html

Boot Camps in Your Home!

2011-06-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Do you need an alternative to crowded gyms and busy Boot Camps?

If you have a suitable yard simply gather up 8-10 friends and we'll provide an intense and exciting Boot Camp just for you!

Burn Fat
Increase Core Strength
Build Lean Muscle
Look and Feel Great

Boot Camps are available in 4 or 8 week packages at your chosen time of day.

Check us out at www.liveinmotion.ca
Contact us at info@liveinmotion.ca

Recipe - Spinach Salad with Crab Meat

2011-06-01T09:00:00.001-04:00

Spinach Salad with Crab Meat

Ingredients:|

2 large bunches fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 Walla Walla, Vidalia or Maui sweet onion, sliced thin
2 large tomatoes, sliced thin
Half pound, shredded crabmeat
2 hard-boiled omega 3 enriched eggs, sliced thin

Tear spinach leaves into small pieces and mix with onions, tomatoes and crabmeat. Just before serving, toss with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar and top with egg slices.

Serves four
Page 185 – The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

Holistic Cooking & Nutrition Tips!

2011-05-31T09:00:00.002-04:00

Holistic Cooking Tip

Add Himalayan salt to your food and water to increase it nutritional value. A tiny pinch will mineralize your water and help prepare your stomach for optimal digestion. The human body requires approximately 90 trace minerals for optimal function. Himalayan salt has 94 minerals and can be added easily to your food. Salts that are rich in minerals are not white, but are various colors from pink to green.

Traditional table salt lacks adequate minerals and can lead to an array of health issues. It also contains anti-caking agents some of which are aluminum based, which can contribute to heavy metal toxicity and has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Consider eliminating it from your household.

Holistic Nutrition Tip

Consider making the switch to organic, free range meats. In his highly respected book ‘How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy!” Paul Chek writes…. “Some commercial meat producers have begun research trials adding cardboard, newspaper and sawdust to cattle feeding programs to reduce costs. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials say that it’s not uncommon for some feedlot operators to mix industrial sewage and oils into feed to reduce costs and fatten animals more quickly” “The agency said the following animal diseases do not present a health danger to humans:

Cancer
Sores
Infectious arthritis
Diseases caused by intestinal worms
Tumors (In case of tumors, the guidelines state: “remove localized lesion(s) and pass unaffected carcass portions.”)

Smoothie Recipe - Digestive Drink

2011-05-30T10:41:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

One quarter tsp crushed cardamom seeds
One quarter tsp crushed cinnamon stick
One quarter crushed fennel seeds
1/8th tsp crushed cloves
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 kiwi, peeled and chopped
One quarter tsp seedless grapes

1) In a teapot, pour one quarter cup boiling water over cardamom seeds, cinnamon, fennel seeds and cloves.
Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and discard spices. Let spice infusion cool.
2) In blender, combine spice infusion, apple, kiwi and grapes. Process as directed until smooth.

Serves 1
Page 227 of The Smoothie Bible by Pat Crocker

2011-05-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

Live In Motion is going to Mexico this November
Puerto Vallarta Fitness Getaway
October 29th to November 5th 2011

A vacation like you’ve never experienced before! Boot Camp on the beach, Yoga overlooking the ocean, nutritious meals and much more!

If you are interested at all please let us know.

Your Fitness and Health Getaway includes:

7 days/7 nights in a beautiful Italian style villa
Nutritious meals prepared by a Holistic Chef
Morning walks on the beach
Boot Camp style training on the beach
Lots of free time to wander the city and enjoy the culture
Freedom to participate as much or as little as you please2 organized adventure tours
2 spa treatments (massage, pedicure, manicure or facial)
1 special outing including a gourmet meal

For more details about this fantastic vacation click here: http://www.liveinmotion.ca/mexicanbootcamp.html

Recipe: Apple Pie Protein Smoothie

2011-05-18T08:05:00.002-04:00

This is a great post workout treat. Enjoy!

Serves 2

1/4 cup Apple Cider or Apple Juice
1-2 scoops Vanilla Whey Protein
2 Apples - Peeled, Cored & Chopped
2 tsps Spelt Flakes (Optional)
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Ground Cloves
1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Applesauce

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth.

Benefits of Smoothie Ingredients;

Cinnamon is a carminative, diaphoretic, astringent, stimulant and antimicrobial.
Cloves act as an antioxidant, anesthetic, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, anodyne, antispasmodic, carminative, stimulant, antiemetic and antihistamine.
Nutmeg is an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative, digestive stimulant and sedative.

Something to discuss: What is your favourite smoothie recipe?

Live In Motion

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Bowmanville Indoor Winter Boot Camp - Starts January 11. Serious Fat Burning!

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New Year's Resolutions Don't Work. Start Finding Real Solutions Now

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Why Raw Sprouts May be the Riskiest Food in Your Grocery Store

What makes sprouts risky

Growing at home is only slightly safer

How big is the risk?

Whose fault is it and what can be done?

Will you still eat raw sprouts?

What is Wrong with Grains?

High carbohydrate intake and elevated insulin

Gluten, lectins and phytates, three poisons you can live without

Gluten

Lectins

Phytates

Conclusion

Recipe: Portobello burgers

Portobello burger recipe

Ingredients for the hamburgers

Ingredients for the portobello mushrooms

Preparation for the hamburgers

Preparation for the portobello mushrooms

Recipe: Green Chicken Masala

Preparation

Choosing and cooking meat The butcher shop

How to choose great meat from your butcher

The different cooking methods

Roasting

Slow-roasting

Pot-roasting

Pan-roasting

Frying and stir-frying

Those two methods are probably the most used methods and are well suited for all kinds of tender cuts of meat like chicken breasts, steaks, chops, ribs and tenderloins.

Grilling

Poaching

Stewing and braising

Labour Day – Do We Leave The Summer Fitness Behind?

7 Reasons to Try Interval Training

Back to Basics Series Part V : Recommended Product

Back to Basics Series Part lV : Health & Nutrition Tips

Back to Basics Series Part lll - Recipe of the Month

Back to Basics Series Part ll

Back to Basics Series

Is All Butter Created Equal?

Grass-Fed vs. Grain-Fed

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) Content

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Vitamin Content

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Fatty Acid Composition

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Flavor

Winner: Grass-fed Butter

Watch out for these brands near you:

Terminology

What is cultured butter?

What is “sweet butter”?

What is clarified butter?

What about ghee?

**DATE CHANGE** Live In Motion is going to Mexico this October Puerto Vallarta Fitness Getaway

Recipe: Fish Chowder With Dill

How losing sleep can make you gain weight

We've always stressed to our clients the importance of overall lifestlye factors such as proper sleep and stress management for maintaining a healthy weight. Check out this quick article to see the effect that just one night of poor sleep has on your metabolism.

**DATE CHANGE** Live In Motion is going to Mexico this October

Client Testimonial

Fitness Tip!

The new Dirty Dozen: 12 foods to eat organic and avoid pesticide residue

MARGARINE: Healthy to eat grey plastic?

DATE CHANGE Live In Motion is going to Mexico this October Puerto Vallarta Fitness Getaway

DATE CHANGE Live In Motion is going to Mexico this October