I’ve been experiencing some pretty nasty neck pain and headaches in the last few months.  A friend of mine referred me to her chiropractor (which mind you, I was leery of).  I finally broke down and made an appointment to go see him.  It was, to say the very least, an eye opening experience.  He did his evaluation and informed me that I had several vertebrae that would need adjusting in future sessions and that I have an allergy to gluten.

I sat there thinking, “Say what??  Uhmmm, doc?  I’ve been eating this way (whole wheat everything, brown rice and the like) for five years now…if there was an issue, don’t ya think I would have picked up on it before now??”  I did, however, decide to hear him out…though truthfully at the time it was only so I could do my own little experiments to prove him wrong!  My mind just could not wrap itself around a gluten allergy…not one that concerned me anyway.

He continued saying that he would send more information via email about a gluten allergy as well as some information on a gluten free diet.  Again I sat there thinking, “Uhm…hello?  Do ya remember the part about how I told you that I’m a trainer…I got the whole nutrition thing covered.  I don’t need your cute little email, just keep it.  I’ll figure this out on my own, just like everything else I’ve done so far.  Thanks, but I’ll pass.”  My mind was still absolutely reeling…a gluten allergy?  Certainly he had been smoking crack just before he came into the room for my appointment….right??

So what is a gluten allergy, what is gluten and where is it found?

Gluten-sensitivity, is an auto-immune response of certain individuals that usually effects the intestines (but not in all cases…like mine *eye roll*) and is caused by gluten, a protein found in various cereal grains.  The principle sources of gluten in the diet include wheat, rye, and barley. Oats may be tolerated in small amounts by some people with celiac, although those with severe cases of the disease typically do not.  Dairy foods may not be tolerated when someone with celiac disease has active symptoms, since lactose intolerance frequently develops. However, this is due to the lactose sugar in the dairy foods, rather than the proteins, which can cause milk allergy.  Understandably, given all this information, a person with celiac disease or even a remote sensitivity to gluten, should follow a gluten-free diet.  Ugh.

How many times have you heard the words “I dare ya!”, especially as you were growing up?  True, all too often it was preceded by the words “double-dog” as in, “I double-dog dare you”.  So what does this really mean and what does it have to do with health and fitness?  Well, according to Webster.com, DARE means “to have courage, to challenge, to confront, to act with imaginative or vivacious boldness”.  Hmm…I like it!  The double-dog adjective simply ups the ante or degree of the challenge (which I am *totally* okay with).  Now for the connection…and my dare.

Here we are, two weeks prior to the Christmas and New Year holidays.  This is often a time associated with indulgence and excess.  The dare?  To negotiate this time period without packing on the guilt.  I’ve written several blogs posts full of tips on how to negotiate the food side of the holidays, so this post deals more with the other side.

As you think back to the holidays growing up, do you remember food greater than you remember family fellowship times, being around loved ones (especially those who are no longer with us), and playing games?  Yes, I remember specific foods too (some that were actually good, some that we made fun of when no one was looking), but more than the greasy stuff, the sweet stuff, and the various jell-o concoctions (by the way, whose idea was it to put shredded carrots in lime jell-o anyway?  I mean, YUCK!  Whoever it was, they should be shot), I remember playing and good family times.  Don’t have family close by?  Get together with friends or look at serving the needs of those less fortunate in this world.  This is the stuff lasting memories are made of.  Indulge in making memories this season…I DARE ya!

As we near the end of the year, now is a good time to reassess your health and fitness goals.  Whether you are a lifelong fitness guru, or a newbie only a few months into your journey, take a few moments and assess your goals.

• Are you including the right mix of exercises each week? - Cardio vs Strength, muscle balance to avoid injury, any rehab exercises for injuries already sustained,  do you have correct form for the exercises you have chosen?  If you don’t know the answers to these questions, seek them out (i.e., hire/talk with a trainer, take an instructional class, do some research — just do it. If you don’t, your hard work may not be gaining you the progress you expect — and no one has time for that).
• Are your workouts frequent enough to continue with forward progression?
• How are you doing with your nutrition?
• Are you getting that extra fiber in, those fruits and vegetable requirements, or your water intake?

Need a little more DARE help?

How about this:

Do - action verb, get off the couch, out from behind the desk, and move!
All – everything you planned, don’t short change yourself!
Right – anything worth doing is worth doing RIGHT!
Earnestly - sincerely, purposefully, every time – after all you’re worth it!

And finally…

DARE TO DREAM

As you finish up your holiday plans and reassess your health and fitness goals, don’t be afraid to reach for the stars that you know are out there.  For that matter, reach for the stars you don’t even know exists yet.  Trust me, they ARE there.

DARE TO BE

Not only who you want to be at this time in your life but also the you that you want to be in the future.  It’s interesting to see how your definitions will change as you progress along your journey.  Take notes…you’ll amaze yourself, I promise.

DARE TO TRANSFORM

As we grow, we change physically, mentally, and spiritually–embrace the inner YOU, it’s someone to be PROUD of!

So go ahead…  I double dog dare ya!

Ahhh, it’s Halloween.  I’ll be honest, it’s my least favorite of all the holidays.  It’s not the dressing up I dislike, that’s kinda fun.  It’s not the pumpkin carving or the although honestly they aren’t as cute as Santa with his sleigh and 8 little reindeer.  It’s mainly all the blankety-blanking candy the kids go out and collect.  Little ghosts and goblins go out in disguise on Halloween night roaming the neighborhoods near and far all in an effort to collect pillowcases full of, candy.  Ugh.

I don’t take my kids trick or treating.  Diabetes runs in the family on both sides for them so we quit doing that a few years ago in an effort to stabilize blood sugar and therefore, their health as well as Mom’s sanity.  Rather than taking them out to collect bunches and bunches of candy that in the end causes them ill health, we all get dressed up in our costumes and go out to a movie, to a corn maze or a Halloween party we have been invited to.  It’s a positive way to take trick or treating out of the picture without making my kiddos feel like they are being deprived.

In an effort to keep my readers well informed, (;)) I’m posting a chart comparing the nutrition facts of some of the most popular Halloween handouts.

Obviously, avoiding the treats altogether is the best option, but if you decide to have a few, watch your portions and make sure to get in a little extra exercise too!  On the bright side, the chart tells you how many extra calories to burn off at the gym the next day!

When it comes to weight loss, there are some general rules that most people understand go hand in hand with the process.  Everyone knows if you want to lose weight, you have to eat “better” and most folks realize that exercise is a key component as well.  In today’s post I want to focus more on the nutrition side of weight loss than the exercise portion.  In fact, I want to talk specifically about protein and it’s role in weight loss…especially for women.

When most women hear the term protein associated with working out their minds pulls up images of muscle clad, vein popping bodybuilders and they instantly decide it’s not for them.  Oh reeeaally?   There are a lot of rumors floating around that mislead women into thinking that eating protein and working out will leave you looking like Popeye after downing a can of spinach or, worse yet, Arnorld Shwarzenegger.  I’m here to tell ya that it’s just NOT going to happen.  If only it were that easy!

Getting enough protein in your daily diet is no small task, especially for women.  I have had more female clients who shy away from meat and dairy products than male clients, which I can understand as I myself feel the same way about it; especially red meat.  Additionally, it’s a lot harder to take protein along with you when you are constantly on the go.  In general, protein takes prep work as well as refrigeration, making it harder to fit in during the day, especially on a busy day.  You’re not likely going to find many women pulling a grilled chicken breast out of their purse.

Protein is key in the process of weight loss.  It helps stabilize blood sugar by slowing down the rate that carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and it’s absorption into the bloodstream.  Even high glycemic carbs can be moderated so that your blood sugar doesn’t spike and crash like a roller coaster by pairing them with protein when eaten.  What does this mean?  Well, if you’re not riding the blood sugar roller coaster you won’t experience highs and lows in your energy level and those fun cravings that hit mid afternoon to eat everything in sight including the kitchen sink.  In short, control blood sugar and you’ll control cravings.  Controlling cravings leads to success in your weight loss goals.  Success equals a win-win situation!  See, protein is your friend!

One of the questions I always ask a new client is’ “How is your current nutrition?”  My goal in asking this question is to get a picture of how they eat on a daily basis and how they feel about eating out vs. eating from home.  It works, trust me.  In discussing current nutritional habits, one of the biggest concerns that usually comes up is that of cooking “healthy”.  When asked to expound upon their concerns, I usually hear something like, “I don’t mind chicken, but I don’t want to eat it every night for the rest of my life, let alone with dry brown rice and steamed broccoli.  Eating healthy doesn’t taste good, there aren’t that many options and really, when you look at the overall picture, I haven’t had much success with it anyway.  What a waste of time for such little results!  And that’s if I get any results from it at all!” 

Upon hearing these words (yet again) my reformed inner food addict gets cranky.  Which is rather ironic seeing that not all that long ago I felt the exact same way!  I find myself wanting to defend produce-kind, testify that whole grains are they key to energy and shout from the rooftops that lean proteins are not only good for you but that all three of these nutrients combined will give you more health benefits than you could ever imagine.  How could you say that they don’t taste good and that they don’t give you results worth sticking around for?! 

Yeah, sorry about that.  I’m a little passionate about good nutrition…sometimes I get a little carried away.

As I’ve thought about ways to convince people that healthy cooking is where it’s at, I’ve had a lot of ideas come and go.  One of my first ideas was to type up recipes and hand them out to new clients.  After all, when I first started I had no idea what TO eat.  I knew what NOT to eat, but didn’t have a clue otherwise.  That is one of the most frustrating things for a person with a food addiction…not knowing what to eat, which quickly turns into not feeling like there is anything you CAN eat.  It seemed to help, and continues to help, some of my clients.  The problem I found was that only those who already had some intrinsic motivation really use the recipes, everyone else loses them in the never ending paper shuffle at home.  That’s not good enough stats to settle for.  It doesn’t help enough people. 

Another idea I had, and I’ve written about here at transformationtrainer.com before, was joining with the South Jordan Fitness & Aquatic Center’s quarterly Nutrition Fair.  I donate my time to help make the food that is highlighted as well as being there during the fair to answer any questions that attendees have concerning nutrition, exercise or a healthy lifestyle in general.  That seems to help some people, but some people are too shy to approach me in a big group setting like that, they need more of a small group or one on one type setting.  Again, that’s not good enough.  So after thinking about it some more, I had another idea. 

It came to me as I contemplated my goals as to what it is I want to be able to give each of my clients, and truly all those I come in contact with.  I chose Transformation Training as my business name for multiplereasons.  First, I had undergone a transformation of my own and wanted to help people who wanted the same for themselves, who were willing to put forth the effort and hard work it inevitably takes to achieve such a transformation.  But too, I wanted to provide training, and not just workouts, that would allow people to make positive changes for themselves for the rest of their lives. 

Each client I’ve had has become a friend to me, though I’ve clicked more with some than others, each of them has had a positive effect in my life.  I want their association with me to be just as positive for them and to benefit them for years to come.  I want them to come away from our time together having learned information that will help them make decisions that will benefit the health of not only themselves, but their families as well.  Because when it comes right down to it, if you don’t have your health and your loved ones, what do you have?  Not much worth writing home about, huh?  

So, I’ve been bouncing this one around for awhile trying to get all the details worked out, to ensure that it turns out like I have it in my head.  There’s nothing worse than having an idea for a project pictured in your mind and then having it turn into utter chaos before your eyes…been there, done that, so I can tell ya firsthand, it sucks.  Enough said.  I’ve mentioned it to some people to see what they think, would they be interested in a class of this kind and how do they think it would be received by others, and from the responses I’ve gotten so far, people (besides me) are excited about it.   

So what is my big idea?  Healthy cooking classes!  At each class, a group of recipes will be demonstrated, showing people how easy it is to put healthy food together.  At the end of class, those in attendance will have a chance to experience healthy eating as each class will include dinner (a sampling of each recipe made that night), printed recipes and a shopping list to take home with them as well.  Each class will have a theme (for example, “Fast Fixes” or “Soups and Stews”) that indicates what will be demonstrated.  Due to location arrangements, spots are limited.

The first class is set to be held on August 3 at 7pm (per person cost TBA).  We will be highlighting “Summer Salads”, all of which are perfect for any occasion, from dinnertime with the family, the backyard BBQ or entertaining guests.  Whether you prefer sweet or savory there will be something for everyone!  I’m super excited about getting these classes started, and I hope all of you are too!  Hope to see you there! 

For more information on attending, to reserve your spot or to share any of your thoughts, comments, questions or suggestions you may have regarding class, feel free to leave a comment to this post, email me at laurabutterscpt@gmail.com or call me at 801-859-5013. 

This weekend we had the yummiest dessert ever!  My kids loved it, I loved it and I’m betting you’re going to love it too!  Two of my favorite foods in the whole world are strawberries and brownies.  They are absolutely divine on their own but when I combined the two this weekend it was like a small piece of heaven! 

It’s super easy to make, which is always a plus, but you can also make it low key and casual or dress it up to make it look like something you’d order at a fancy restaurant) it’s always nice to have something that looks super fancy be super easy to make!  Don’t worry, it’ll be our little secret).

Berry Yummy Brownies

• 1 low fat brownie mix
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup berry flavored applesauce
• 2 egg whites
• 4 pounds of fresh ripe strawberries
• Non stick cooking spray

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 pan with non stick cooking spray and set aside.  Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.  Pour brownie mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25-28 minutes, keeping in mind that oven temperatures vary slightly.  Remove from the oven and let cool.

Meanwhile, wash and clean the strawberries, removing the green tops.  Cut each strawberry into quarters, place in a clean bowl and set aside.

Place half of the clean, cut strawberries into a different bowl and mash them.  If you would like to, you can add a SMALL amount of sugar to slightly sweeten (I don’t think they need it, but everyone has different tastes).  Put the remaining strawberries into the strawberry puree and stir in. 

When the brownies have cooled, cut into 2″ x 2″ squares.  Place a brownie square on a small dessert plate and pour strawberry puree over the top.  Because of the berry flavored applesauce, the brownies already have a hint of berry flavor to them, but with the berries on top…It is so YUMMY! 

I have had several clients lately ask my opinion on all the different types of diets.  Do they work?  Would a person benefit from trying one, two or twelve of them?  Hmmm, let me think…  NO!   

If you’ve ever tried losing weight before, you know just how many ”diets” are out there (way too many for my liking).  There’s everything from the food specific diets such as the banana diet, the grapefruit diet and the cabbage soup diet to diets named after places such as South Beach, Mediterranean and Sonoma.  Don’t forget the diets that are named after the people who created them like Atkins and the diets that are named after the theories behind them like the Blood Type, Body Type and the ADHD diet.  There’s dangerous diets like extreme calorie restriction diets, extreme detox diets and the hCG diet.  Then, as if that’s not enough, you have the diets that you know the very second you hear the name of them that they are a hoax…like the party girl diet and the cookie diet (don’t EVEN get me started on those two)!  Where do they all come from?  I’ll tell you.

The weight loss industry is reported as being a $55 billion dollar industry and Americans alone spend $40 million of the total.  Still have questions on where all these diets come from?  Greed.  Now I’m not saying that all of them are garbage or that every person who has come up with and published a “diet” book is greedy.  I am saying that there are people out there in the world who are greedy and know that you, I and the neighbor next door as well as the neighbor down the street want to lose weight and they are more than willing to be the one to take our money.  They figure that if you’ve tried one diet, you’ll try another…and another…and another.  Unfortunately, we are the ones who make them right time and time again.  There are so many people looking for a magic pill, silver bullet and/or an easy way out that they just keep giving us another option to look over and take a whack at it with.     

Now obviously, I have not read every diet book out there, and I’m not claiming that I have.  Obviously I cannot even begin to say that I know and understand the components and claims of each diet plan out there and how they each act/react with the human body…especially when you start to factor in genetic disorders, thyroid issues, hormone imbalances, cancer and diseases of every shape and kind.  What I am claiming is this:

If a nutrition plan, diet, food/menu plan or dietary program is not something that you can honestly see yourself doing for the rest of your life, it won’t work for you in the long run.  Sure, you may lose 10, 20 or even 50 pounds on any given plan in the beginning but the minute your body adapts to it or you go off of it and return to your “normal” dietary intake, you’ll put it all back on and then some.  Wanna know why?

The Human Body and Calorie Restriction

Your body has one goal each and every day and that is to keep you alive.  There is a multitude of checks and balances that our bodies go through each and every day in order to assure that the goal is met.  When you restrict your caloric intake, your body compensates by reducing your metabolic rate.  Simply put, you burn less calories and therefore less stored fat as well.  As if that’s not enough bad news, studies have shown that lipoprotein lipase (a fat storing enzyme) levels increase dramaticallywhen calories are restricted.  While lipoprotein lipase levels are rising, your T3 (a thyroid hormone) levels plummet.  Why is that a bad thing?  Low levels of T3 slow metabolism which, you guessed it,  aids in preserving stored body fat. 

Going back to your body’s primary focus of keeping you alive every day, the whole metabolic slowing process makes a lot of sense.  The slower your metabolism, the less calories you burn.  The less calories you burn, the longer your stored energy (fat) will keep you alive.  The longer you’re alive, the greater your odds that the famine will end, the crisis will be be averted, the circumstances surrounding your current unfortunate situation will change and food will be found therefore avoiding death.  Chalk one up for your body for being smarter than you, huh?

The picture above depicts what happens to the average American when they decide to go on a diet.  You start out and all seems well, but unbeknown to you, your metabolism slows down so that after the initial weight loss in the beginning you don’t notice much change.  You hit a plateau, because your body has slowed your metabolism to the point that it needs to in order to keep you alive on the amount of calories you’re giving it, and you get frustrated.  You start thinking that if all this sacrifice isn’t getting you any results anyway, why should you continue?  You finally decide that the diet plan has become unbearable and you cave in to your ”normal” eating habits.  Inside your body, your lipoprotein lipase levels remain elevated and your metabolic rate stays suppressed.  This causes that ten pounds you lost to find it’s way back home in a hurry, and not only does the ten pounds find it’s way back into the pockets of your jeans, it brings a few friends home to play too!  Your body looks at it like a life insurance policy in case another famine or crisis comes your way.  In other words, the rate of fat storage is increased after a period of calorie restriction (a.k.a. dieting) and it stays that way until your pre-diet level of body fat is re-established.  

In addition to that basket of roses, you lose lean muscle mass while your calories are restricted as well.  Loss of lean muscle mass further supresses your metabolism and negatively affects the shape, tone, and functionality of your body.  Muscle loss resulting from restrictive dieting can be as high as 40-50% of the total amount of weight lost.  With this muscle to fat loss ratio, body composition only improves slightly (if at all) while on any given calorie restrictive diet and when said diet ends and the fat returns but the muscle doesn’t, your body composition is actually worse.  In this vicious calorie restricting, dieting cycle you go from being unhappy with yourself because you feel you are fat and flabby, to being less fat but more flabby due to loss of muscle mass and then you march onward to being fatter and flabbier than you were to begin with.  Awesome huh?  Not.

The Real Answer (According to Me)

If you want to lose weight (and keep it off for good), you’ll need some discipline, period.  Discipline is a common theme, whether you’re talking about following a diet plan or initiating a healthy lifestyle.  The difference is in how you choose to apply it.  When you’re dieting, there is almost always a “Foods That Can Be Eaten” and a ”Foods That Can’t be Eaten” list, meaning you must completely give up certain foods and eating habits.  Instead of developing a lifetime sustaining and moderate approach to food, you must learn to exercise absolute discipline in regards to certain foods, cutting them out completely.  When you are forbidden to eat something, what is it that you crave?  To be completely honest with you, if this approach actually worked for most people, there wouldn’t be an obesity epidemic across America.

Sure, most anyone can lose weight in the short term, but very few people keep the weight off for even a year, let alone permanently. For this reason alone, a healthy lifestyle is much more beneficial, in the short term as well as the long run, than any diet ever will be.  It is important for you to understand that most diet plans, if you follow them to the letter, will result in weight loss (especially in the beginning phases of the plan).  In fact, eating almost anything drastically different from what you normally eat over the course of a few weeks to a month or so will result in temporary weight loss. Unfortunately, like we talked about earlier, your body adapts to the new diet with a slower metabolism and, as I explained above, it’s all downhill from there.  No good.

It must therefore be realized that diet plans in general are erronius attempts at a “quick fix” to a problem that, simply put, has none.  It is a key step in learning how to stay healthy.  Being healthy isn’t about being able to discipline ourselves toward or away from certain foods for a certain space of time in order to see a certain number on the scale or the tag in your pants.  It is about being disciplined enough to take on a long-term strategy for living healthy for the rest of our lives.  In other words, to get and stay healthy, to get the long term changes to your waistline you desire, you must make long term changes to the way you live.

Have you ever tried on a shirt with a tag that claims “One Size Fits All’?  I have, several times actually.  I’ve been on both ends of the scale too.  I’ve been the person who can’t even get both arms into the (blankety-blanking) shirt to even try pulling it over my head and I’ve been the person standing there laughing as it hangs off of one shoulder because the neck hole is so big I can’t keep it on both shoulders at the same time!  Shirts and shoes, like weight loss, are NOT one size fits all.  That’s why what works for one person, doesn’t necessarily work for another person.  Why is that? 

I have to chuckle to myself when I have someone approach me, usually with a newsstand celebrity spotlight magazine in hand, inquiring which of the exercises sited in the oh-so-resourceful guide in their hands do they really need to do in order to achieve their goal of looking like the spotlighted celebrity in the magazine.  There’s more to it than exercise, period.  There are actually a handful of variables that have an effect on how you look and feel, though I’m only going to cover four of them in this post; genetics, nutrition, body type and body shape. 

First and foremost is genetics.  You can only rearrange, rebuild and improve upon what good old Mom and Dad gave you in the first place.  In order to look like a certain celebrity, you’d have to have that person’s parents…and really, if you think about it, not even siblings in a family look identical.  So to say that your goal is to look exactly like a certain person seems silly.  It is not an attainable goal…unless you have the time and money for surgery, well actually more than one surgery.  We’re talking surgeries. 

The second factor is actually two separate factors but they go hand in hand.  Nutrition and exercise.  Nutrition and exercise, like genetics, are key.  In order to have something good as your end result, you have to put good things into the equation to begin with.

• Nutrition  You can’t (or at least 90% of us can’t) eat garbage and look good (and the 10% who can, won’t be able to forever.  It will catch up with them eventually).  The age old adage that claims “You are what you eat” is absolutely right.  If you eat crap, you’ll feel like crap.  If you eat healthy foods, you’ll feel healthy.  Each time I think of this concept, a scene in Toy Story 3 comes to my mind and I find myself smiling!  In the scene, Mr. Potato Head has had to use a cucumber instead of his normal potato self to put his assorted parts into.  When he is reunited with Mrs. Potato Head, she asks him how he feels to which he replies, “I feel fresh!  Healthy!  It’s terrible!”  (Honestly, I’m not sure which I laughed more at, Mr. Tortilla Head or Mr. Cucumber Head!  That and Spanish Buzz were all that kept me awake during the movie).
• Exercise  Just like putting healthy food into your body is important, so is requiring your body to work, it’s what we were made to do.  We no longer live in the day of the cavemen when food had to be hunted, killed and prepared.  All of our ancestors had to work in order to maintain life.  Most of us (with some exceptions of course) don’t have to do the kind of work they had to do such as tilling the land, planting crops or taking care of the animals each and every day.  We don’t have to build our own houses, dig ditches or (thank heavens) churn butter either.  We have automatic washers and dryers instead of a wash board and seemingly endless miles of clothes lines, we have automatic dishwashers instead of tubs full of dirty dishes to wash by hand, refrigerators to keep food cold right in our kitchen instead of ice houses to trek to in the back 40 and electric stove tops to cook on instead of a fire to be built in the fireplace.  We are lucky to have these things, but as convenient as they make life, they take the work out of it as well.  Rather than turn into a couch potato, hit the gym and put the work back into your life!     

The third factor is body type.  There are three groups or classifications of body types.  While some people fall into one of these three main groups specifically, most people are a combination of two of the groups.  The three main groups are endomorphs, mesomorphs and ectomorphs, with common combinations being ecto-mesomorph and endo-mesomorph.

• Endomorphs  Endomorphs tend to have bigger bones that the other body types.  Endomorphs usually have round faces, larger thighs and hips as well.  They usually have arms and legs that appear short and tapering, which gives them a somewhat stocky appearance.  Most endomorphs have comparatively small hands and feet accompanied by a high waist.  Endomorphs have higher levels of body fat than the other body types, making weight loss much more difficult for them than others outside this body type.  However, they can build lean muscle mass much easier than any other body type.   
• Mesomorphs  Mesomorphs have an athletic build.  They are often an hourglass or ruler shape and gain muscle mass easily.  Most mesomorphs have broad shoulders and a narrow waist along with a fast metabolism.  Mesomorphs lose weight more easily than endomorphs.
• Ectomorphs  Ectomorphs have a thin, linear appearance. Most ectomorphs look like rulers, having narrow waists, hips, and shoulders. Ectomorphs can lose weight easily and tend to have low to very low levels of body fat.  Though being overweight is not usually an issue for ectomorphs, they have a much harder time gaining lean muscle mass than the other body types. 

The fourth factor is body shape.  Whether you realize it or not, you have heard of this.  Most people fall into one of two groups, though there are three groups in all.  Apples, pears and proportioned (ruler or hourglass). 

• The apple shape. People in this group store fat in their upper bodies so are generally bigger on the top half of their bodies than on the bottom half.  They often have thin hips and a large chest and stomach.  Apples tend to gain weight above the waist or along the backside.  The apple shape evolved to adapt to long periods of famine.  While not perishing in a famine is definitely a plus, fat stored in the upper body can lead to heart disease, so it is extremely important for people in this group to be very health conscious.
• The pear shape. People in this group have larger lower bodies and smaller upper bodies because they store the majority of their fat in the lower body; hips, buttocks and (every girls’ favorite) saddlebags.  Pears find that their hips are slightly wider than their shoulders and that when weight is gained it is usually below the waist. Pears usually have small chests, flat stomachs and are women.  This shape evolved because fat stored in these specific areas aids in increased fertility and breast-feeding.  While this type of fat is not as much of a health risk as the abdominal fat apples store, it is definitely harder to lose.  (Great, huh?) 
• The proportioned shape. This group of people have fat cells distributed equally throughout their entire body.  When they gain weight, they gain it everywhere and when they lose weight, it comes off evenly as well.  People who fall into this category are usually termed either rulers or hourglass.  
  • Rulers have no large differences between the size of their hips, waists, and shoulders. Rulers tend to put on weight in their stomach and backside, while maintaining slender arms and legs. 
  • Hourglass shaped women have well-proportioned upper and lower bodies, with a distinctive waist. Those who are an hourglass gain weight all over their body, particularly in the hips and chest area. 

 You may find yourself wondering how body type and body shape combine.  Let me shed some light on the subject. 

• Most rulers are ectomorphs.  
• Most hourglasses tend to be endomorphs or mesomorphs.
• Most pears are mesomorphs.
• Most apples are mesomorphs or endomorphs.

So there you have it.  In order to look like Jennifer or Angelina, you’ve got to have genetics, proper nutrition and exercise, body type and body shape on your side…well, either that or a million bucks. 

Most of us have heard of the food pyramid and we all know where fruits and veggies fall in the pyramid.  There have been several commercials aimed at educating the American public to not only eat according to the food pyramid, but also to eat a rainbow as well.  If you ask your kids what rainbow the commercial is talking about you’ll probably get the same answer my kids gave me; the skittles rainbow….uhmmm, not so much!  The rainbow we should be aiming to taste?  Fresh fruits and veggies in a rainbow of colors.

With spring at our doorstep, fresh fruits and veggies are just about to get good, really good and I can hardly wait!  So what’s the big deal being made about this proverbial rainbow and just what good is it going to do you and I?  Let’s find out!

Red Fruits and Vegetables

So what’s in red fruits and veggies that makes them look red?  Either lycopene or anthocyanins are what does the trick.  Researchers say that lycopene (found in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit) may help reduce the risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer.  One thing that is good to note is that lycopene found in foods containing cooked tomatoes and a small amount of fat (like spaghetti sauce) is absorbed better than lycopene from raw tomatoes.     Anthocyanins in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes and other fruits act as powerful antioxidants to protect our cells from damage and keep our heart healthy as well.  Some examples ofred fruits and veggies include:

•  Red Apples
• Red Cabbage
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Red/Pink Grapefruit
• Red Grapes
• Red Peppers
• Pomegranates
• Red Potatoes
• Radishes
• Rhubarb
• Raspberries
• Strawberries
• Tomatoes
• Watermelon

Orange/Yellow Fruits and Vegetables

The fruits and veggies in this group get their color from carotenoids, which are natural plant pigments.  It is interesting to note that the beta carotene found in carrots, sweet potatoes and pumpkin is converted to Vitamin A in our body, which aids in maintaining healthy eyes and mucous membranes.  In a study done to note the effects that carotenoids have on our health, researchers found that not only does a diet high in carotenoid-rich foods help reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and improve immune system function, but it also makes us 43% less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (and eye disorder common among the elderly which can eventually lead to blindness). 

Another study shows that carotenoids may also be good for your heart.  The researchers found that men with high cholesterol who ate their daily servings of vegetables (many of them ate more than the pyramid suggests) had a 36% lower chance of having a heart attack, than the men in the study who wouldn’t eat their veggies. 

Though citrus fruits fall into this category, they are not a good source of Vitamin A.  They are however excellent sources of Vitamin C and folate (a B Vitamin that helps reduce the risk of birth defects).  Some examples of orange/yellow fruits and veggies include:

• Yellow Apples
• Apricots
• Butternut Squash
• Cantaloupe
• Carrots
• Yellow Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Oranges
• Peaches
• Yellow Peppers
• Pineapple
• Yellow Squash
• Corn
• Sweet Potatoes
• Tangerines
• Yellow Tomatoes
• Yellow Watermelon

Green Fruits and Vegetables

The green group of fruits and veggies get their color from another one of  the natural plant pigments.  This one is called chlorophyll…Hmmm, sound familiar?  You may remember that word being mentioned (a time or two…or twelve thousand) in 8th grade science somewhere along the way…dang it, your teacher WAS right, you did end up using that information again. 

Some members of the green group, meaning spinach and other dark leafy greens, green peppers, peas, cucumber and celery, contain lutein. Lutein works with another chemical, zeaxanthin (which is found in corn, red peppers, oranges, grapes and egg yolks) to help keep eyes healthy.  Together, these chemicals may help reduce risk of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

The indoles found in broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and other cruciferous vegetables has also been shown to help protect against some types of cancer.  Leafy greens such as spinach and broccoli are excellent sources of folate (which as stated in the above paragraph is a B vitamin that helps prevent birth defects).  Some examples of green fruits and veggies include:

• Green Apples
• Artichokes
• Asparagus
• Avocados
• Green Beans
• Broccoli
• Green Cabbage
• Cucumbers
• Green Grapes
• Honeydew 
• Kale
• Kiwi
• Green Leaf Lettuce
• Limes
• Green Onions
• Green Peas (Shelled, Snow and Sugar Snap) 
• Green Peppers
• Spinach
• Zucchini

Blue/Purple Fruits and Vegetables

This group is also colored by a natural plant pigment (I know, you’re shocked huh?).  You’ve heard of this one before too, in fact you’ve already read a little bit about it in the red fruits and vegetables paragraph.  Anthocyanins are the culprit yet again.  You already know that these particular plant pigments are powerful antioxidants, but you’re about to learn one more thing about them.  They actually go to work in our body to help improve circulation, and that’s a good thing.  Because they aide in improving circulation, it will make sense when I tell you that they also help reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease as well.  In addition (yes, there’s even more!) they also help protect against cancer.  

There have been several studies done to discover the benefits of antioxidants.  One such study shows that including a serving of blueberries in your daily nutrition was directly linked to having better memory function and more healthy aging.  Not a bad gig overall!  Some example found in this group are:

• Beets
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Eggplant
• Figs
• Juneberries
• Marionberries
• Plums
• Prunes
• Purple Cabbage
• Purple Grapes
• Raisins

 There is a lot to be said for the health benefits of eating a rainbow each day.  I guess you could say that they are the proverbial pot of gold you’ll find at the end!

The weekend is quickly approaching, and I find myself asking my clients on Thursday and Friday if they have any plans for the weekend.  The vast majority of today’s clients, plan to see a movie over the weekend.  As the conversation continued, I heard (way too many) commments about how they had plans to be good all day so they could have some movie popcorn when they go to their show. 

Now, you all know that I am a believer in moderation.  But when it comes to movie popcorn, not so much.  Movie popcorn has got to be one of the worst things on the face of the planet for you.  I’ve tried telling people and it seems they feel it is solely my opinion.  Which is true to a point, it is definitely my opinion…but I googled it…and found proof!  I found a chart of the most commonly eaten foods at a movie thatre for ya to take a look at.  See what ya think:

Are you sick yet?  I was when I looked over it.  And to think all of that is consumed while sitting down, doing absolutley nothing.  Overall, not the most brilliant plan.    

Now, on the other hand, I know that some folks like to have something to munch on while watching a flick.  So, I’ve got a recipe for you to try!  Try it out on your next movie night, whether at home or at the theatre, see what ya think about it!  It is definitely much better for you, you still get to munch, and it’s got a lot more kick than that butter drenched nasty you can get by the tub full.

Spiced Popcorn 

• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• A dash of chipotle chili powder, or to taste
• A dash of cayenne pepper, or to taste
• A dash of ground pepper, or to taste
• 12 cups of air popped popcorn
• Nonstick cooking spray

In a small bowl, mix together the first six ingredients.  Spread the popcorn out in an even layer on a cookie sheet.  Lightly spray the popcorn with nonstick cooking spray.  Sprinkle the spice mixture even over the popcorn and then toss to coat evenly. 

It is so easy, so quick and tastes so much better than the fat laden, calorie packed movie theatre version.  My kids LOVE this popcorn, and request it often.  In experimenting, I’ve found it is also good with a different spice combination as well.  The recipe is below:

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground allspice
• A dash of ground cloves
• zest of one orange or lemon, although my kids and I liked the orange zest better

When using this spice combination, I don’t add the orange zest to the spices when mixing, I put it in very last as I’m tossing the popcorn.  See what you think, I’d love to hear your thoughts!