Back to Basics Series

Good Morning Everyone, How was your weekend?

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

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

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

Here are some suggested changes……

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

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

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

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

www.liveinmotion.ca July/ August 2011

Recipe: Fish Chowder With Dill

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

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.

Holistic Cooking & Nutrition Tips!

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.”)

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

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?

Discussion Post - All are welcome to join in!

                       

This week we thought we would introduce discussion posts to the blog and our readers.

This weeks discussion is based on the fact that a lot of people are unaware of what they should be eating after a workout.  This is a question we get a lot and thought we would open it up to everyone. Post workout is one of the most important meals for generating results from your training. You have a 90 minute window where your body will process nutrients at a hightened rate.

Give us an idea what you are eating after Boot Camp and/or other workouts.....

Here is an example of some of the responses we have already received:

1. Shake with Protein powder, banana & organic peanut butter
2. Meat (usually chicken or beef) with some carrots & cucumber slices
3. Apple with organic PB
4. Greek yogurt, berries, nuts sprinkled on top

Be sure to go to our Facebook page and "Like" us so you can join in on the conversation.  You can find us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Live-in-Motion/128195563890998 and on Twitter @LiveInMotion1

Hope you all have a wonderful day, and we look forward to reading your comments :)

Other topics to discuss:
With the rainy soggy weather here what are your plans for getting in your exercise? 
Will you still go outside for a work out?