All it takes is saying "No" one time

Sometimes all it takes is saying, "No" one time...

By Nicole

It can all start by saying, "No" just one time. 

I can't even imagine what it would feel like to have to lose 20, 50, or even a hundred pounds just to feel like yourself again or even trying to stop a food addiction like soda.  However, you have to start somewhere. 

I completely understand how food offers so many things to the human body and a lot of us have had years to build this multi-faceted relationship with it. Just recently I had been struggling to stay strong with the lifestyle we follow. If someone had M & M's or any type of chocolate I was on it. It left me feeling lethargic and lacking motivation to be as active as I would have liked. 

So, something had to be done. I just had to say, "NO" one time to a food offer that would do my body more harm than good. I know that food temptation is EVERYWHERE, but you can change. 

So what can you do?

Take a second to write down what it is you are eating throughout the day, sort of like a food journal. After about a week, examine those choices. What percentage are vegetables? Fast food? Healthy fats and meats? Processed food? Grains? Water? Sugar in all forms (soda, fruit, candy, alcohol, juice, etc)? For most, these results are eye opening, so what are you going to do to change?

Decide what it is you can possibly cut back on or even eliminate to make you healthier. For most people sugar is their main addiction and new studies are showing sugar can be just as addictive as drugs like cocaine.

When analyzing your nutrition, always try to remember what paleolithic, or original man, had accessible to him (or her). They did not have access to much fruit, so the constant craving for sugar was never there. But over the years, fruit has become so accessible and sadly, larger (I am pretty sure apples shouldn't be the size of a softball) it has people walking around in a constant sugar craze. 

So, please do yourself a favor and break up with these foods which are causing weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, thyroid issues, cancer and so much more. All it takes is for you to say, "NO" just one time. Trust me, after that one moment of strength you will start to feel better, then you will start to look better and it will continue to get easier and easier to stay strong! 

Wondering where to start? Here is a recipe you can say, "yes" to and it is so simple even a cave man could do it!

Crockpot Chicken

1 whole chicken

3 bags baby carrots

1/2 stick of butter (organic is best)

Salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder to taste. 

Place the whole chicken in the crock pot, breast side down. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder.  Slice the butter and place on top of the chicken, save some slices to put on the carrots. Place the opened bags of carrots around and on top of the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours or on high for three. 

Of course, you need another vegetable. Here is our children's favorite way to have broccoli...

4-6 heads of broccoli, cut into small florets 

Grapeseed oil (olive oil is best not heated)

Salt and pepper

Place the broccoli on a large baking pan. Drizzle well with grapeseed oil and season generously with salt and pepper. 

Bake at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes or until most pieces start to crisp. You will want to stir halfway through. 

Trust us, once you have it this way, you won't want to have it any way else!

Enjoy!

Reach your fitness goals with this total body workout

By: Jeff

Use this total body workout to shed the pounds!

Whether you want to shed a few pounds, or to get leaner to show off your six-pack abs, it takes hard work and dedication to get the results you desire. If you read this blog with regularity, you've learned a great deal about your nutrition and how vital it is to reaching your fitness goals and a healthier lifestyle, but sometimes how you train your body can have a big impact on the results you see in the mirror.

There was a time when I followed the typical meat-head gym rat philosophy of training one body part per workout. It left me wondering where all the hard work was going, as well as unbelievably sore on a daily basis. So, I made some changes.

First change I made was to go from lifting 6, or 7, days a week to only lifting 3 days. This allowed my body to recover before training those muscles again. All that jargon of 'muscle confusion' and 'attacking the muscles' is pretty silly when you look at the anatomy of the human body.

When doing resistance training, the muscles experience small tears which then need the proper nutrients and rest to heal and grow larger. If you don't allow your muscles to rest, you are jeopardizing them of possible growth and gains with over training.

With that said, the second factor I changed was going from training one muscle group a session to training my entire body every time I go into the gym. No, my workouts aren't 4 hours long either. I simply focus on multi-joint movements first then isolation lifts next. I do several types of set training. Super-sets, tri-sets and the occasional drop set training. All of that isn't important if you are just starting off.

Try the workout below (I did this workout the other day) and remember it will take time for you to get accustomed to this type of training regimen. Stick with it, and you will see the results sooner than you think.

Back/Triceps
Pull Ups (or weighted pull ups for the advanced) - 3 x 12
Single Arm DB row - 3 x 12, 10, 8
Triceps Press Downs - 3 x 15

Chest/Biceps
Incline Dumbbell bench press - 3 x 12, 10, 8
Medicine Ball Push ups - 3 x 15
Barbell Bicep Curls - 3 x 15

Legs/Calves
Dumbbell walking lunges - 3 x 20, 15, 12
Single-Leg dumbbell squats - 3 x 15, 12, 10
Seated calf raises - 3 x 15

That's it! You should be in and out of the gym in no longer than an hour, and if you do this workout quickly you will surely be exhausted by it's ending. Give it a shot and post how it goes in the comment section below!

Happy lifting!
 

Turn that holiday feast into a power meal

By: Jeff

Turn your holiday meal into a POWER meal!

So many people gripe and complain about the heavy-sided meals over the holidays. It starts with Thanksgiving, then those office holiday parties, then the big holiday feast followed by a New Year's extravaganza. A lot of food to be had by all, but isn't there a way to make these meals healthier and avoiding the food hangover most feel in the days afterwards? The answer is YES, you can.

Whether you are providing the meal, or simply a side dish, keep in mind you want to focus on some basic staples to keep you in the power zone, and not the flabby zone.

When filling up your plate, go heavy on the vegetables. Now, before you think that corn casserole consists of good vegetables, think again. Look for steamed, grilled or even roasted vegetables. Your party not having those? Then bring them. You can eat as many of those vegetables as you can gather on your plate.

Next, go for the protein. Turkey, ham or chicken doesn't matter. White meat or dark meat doesn't matter either. Go for the protein sources which will help you fill up and will compliment the vegetables on your plate wonderfully.

Then, go for the yams before the mashed potatoes. If you are looking for something mashed, bake some sweet potatoes (or yams), peal the skin (although I like leaving the skin on) and mash them using a hand-held masher. Throw on some natural organic butter and enjoy.

Wait a second, there is something missing. What about those cranberries?! Can't have a feast without the cranberries. I have you covered there too. My lovely wife makes a mean cranberry relish which consists of cranberries, apples, pineapple and oranges put in a food processor for your pleasure. To say this goes as a good topping for your protein source might be the understatement of the year.

So, by eliminating the starches (stuffing, mashed potatoes and rolls) you are having an awesome meal without killing your waistline.

I should have prefaced this information with exercise. It could be as simple as you going for a walk the morning of the big feast, or even after the feast if the weather suits you, but know you will be assisting your body in taking those calories (a calorie is a unit of energy, by the way) and utilizing them as fuel so they don't turn to flab.

If you can get out and exercise the day of the meal, stick to the above guidelines when eating your dinner, then you have rewarded yourself with a light dessert. Look for the least dense options for dessert, and stick to only one helping. After all, you are entitled to enjoy a slice of pie.

By doing all this, not only will you be keeping yourself in check, but you will be avoiding the 2-3 pounds the average American puts on over the holidays, but wait...there's more!

What about the booze? If you are going to drink, do so moderately. Nothing can set you back more than the empty calories in alcohol, and yes even wine. Try sticking to the distilled drinks with less sugar like gin, vodka and rum to cut down on the sugar content...and always drink in moderation. If you are going to have a beer or two, or a glass of wine, be sure to contain yourself.

Below are some recipes you can try as substitutes for your festivities that surely will be crowd pleasers! Happy Holidays everyone and stay healthy!

Cranberry Relish

1 bag cranberries (whole)
20 oz. cans crushed pineapples (w/ juice)
2 Oranges (peeled)
2 Apples (pealed and cut)

Place everything into a food processor until ground evenly. Chill before serving. This can be adjusted depending on how much you wanted to make.

Cauliflower Mash
(Had this for a friend who would NEVER eat mashed cauliflower. Didn't tell him what it was, he thought it was mashed potatoes. It is REALLY good)

3 heads of cauliflower
1 container of sour cream
1 container of cream cheese (w/ chive)
4 tsp of butter
Salt
Pepper

Cut the cauliflower into florets and boil. When fork tender, drain the water and crush cauliflower with hand-held masher. When resembling a smooth consistency, add the butter, add the cream cheese (use sparingly until you get the flavor and consistency you desire) and finish with the sour cream (also use sparingly). Finish with the seasoning of salt and pepper and enjoy!

At-Home cleaners to help you get through cold and flu season

By Nicole:

Do-It-Yourself cleaners just as good as store
bought cleaners.

As we approach cold and flu season a lot of us tend to grab the nearest antibacterial wipes/spray with the hopes that it will help keep us well.  Unfortunately, antibacterial products really aren't effective and can do more harm than good.

So, a few years ago we decided to take a different approach and actually start making a few things for our family. If you haven't noticed, I really like to know what is in everything we eat and use. We learned how to make "409," laundry detergent, and deodorant.  Trust me, it is worth the switch and much cheaper too!

Check out the recipes below, all of the ingredients are easy to find in your grocery store.

General Spray Cleaner- this is fantastic! 

1- 16 oz spray bottle

2 TBSP vinegar

1 tsp borax

1/8 cup dish soap

1 cup hot water

20 drops essential oils (we like lavender oil.  We have used citrus oils as well, which are naturally antimicrobial)

Pour vinegar, borax and hot water into the spray bottle and swirl.  Fill the bottle to 16 oz with cold water.  Add the dish soap and essential oils last.

Deodorant

I promise, this is the real deal and even works for men!

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

1/4 cup baking soda

4 TBSP coconut oil

10 drops lavender essential oil

3-4 drop patchouli essential oil

*When I made this for Jeff I did not use the patchouli oil, he is not a fan of it.  I did use the lavender and added a few drops of tea tree oil.  It is wonderful and works all day!

In a medium bowl sift arrowroot powder and baking soda.  Add coconut oil and essential oils.

Using a fork, combine well (as if you were cutting butter into flour- I usually use my hands)

Pack mixture into a glass jar and store at room temperature.  

So people have even put this mixture into a used "regular" deodorant stick.  I have been nervous about trying that, since coconut oil will become liquid in the summer time.

Laundry Detergent

1- 4 lb 12 oz box of borax

1- 3 lb 7 oz box of washing soda

1- 3 lb container of OxyClean

2- bars Dr. Bronner's soap- grated

1 4 lb box baking soda

Optional; 1- container fabric softener crystals (these really aren't a very natural product, but just give your clothes a scent).

Mix all ingredients in a large container and use about 1-2 TBSP per load of laundry.  This can be used in HE washers.

It's what inside that counts

By: Jeff

Ingredients make a huge difference in a person's health.

I wrote an article about the many gimmicks of the food industry last week, and thought I should expand on those thoughts this week. As a pseudo follow-up article, it is time we talk about ingredients.

If you haven't read my previous article, you can read it by clicking THIS, but if you did, you know terms like 'whole grains', 'free range' and 'natural' are all very loose terms the food industry can manipulate to make you purchase their product. The key to looking past the gimmicks is seeing the ingredient list and being able to decipher the actual items which are used in producing the product.

Let's take a look at a food label to help illustrate this point:

Here you see a label from Reece's Pieces candy. Obviously, no one would mistake this candy as healthy food, but the label itself tells the true tale of what you are putting in your body. 

The first ingredient listed is always what is used the most in the product. In this case, it is sugar. Every ingredient after is listed in the same order, from used the most to the least. So, on this label, after sugar are partially defatted peanuts, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, corn syrup, dextrose, and a ton of artificial colors and dyes to give the candy it's color. 

Being able to read beyond the words is a trait very few take the time to do, but is worth it's weight in gold when it comes to your health. Essentially, you are looking for foods that have real ingredients, and not ingredients that sound like a lab experiment gone wrong.

General rule of thumb? If you can't pronounce it, you shouldn't be eating it. In the above candy label, you can see the underlined words which are extremely harmful to your health. The hydrogenated oils, corn syrup and the artificial colors all can have drastic effects on your health and behavior. Guess that peanut butter in the candy isn't worth all that much after all...

Let's stick with the sweets, and I will give you a good example of what a product could look like that isn't horrendous for your health.

All Natural Turkey Hill Chocolate Ice Cream

Here is our go-to ice cream for our birthday parties for the kids, as well as for any get together where we might want to bring ice cream. Want to know the ingredients in this ice cream? 

Here they are: Cream, Sugar, Nonfat Milk, Cocoa.

That's it. Compare that 4 ingredient list to the myriad of junk in the candy we analyzed earlier. 

Simply put, you shouldn't have to have a science degree to know what is in your food. Will this require a little more searching and a little more time in the grocery store? It certainly will, but will the time spent make a difference in your overall health? No doubt about it.

Real Men Cook

By: Jeff

Be a real man...get into the kitchen and cook!

I'm sure most reading this grew up in homes like mine. Mom cooked the meals in the kitchen, Dad took care of the grilling when necessary. Just the way it was, and how our home was before we had children. Nicole would get home and make dinner and all was right with the world.

After our second child was born, I quickly realized if I wanted to eat dinner, I was going to have to cook it myself. Nicole was typically taking care of the kids, which meant it was time for me to step into the kitchen and start cooking. To say I was clueless was an understatement.

Before you go rushing to conclusions, I knew the basics. I knew where everything was located and how to work all the proper appliances, but the methods and timing of cooking were very foreign to me.

Nicole would laugh at me and my endless questioning about this, that and the other, but what started off as a dreadful assignment turned into a pleasure for me. I started to enjoy having my day or two to cook dinner. It started off with simple stir fry using a rice cooker, then expanded to spaghetti using spaghetti squash rather than noodles, to black bean burgers and eventually more time consuming dishes like the Caribbean tilapia bowls we now enjoy (the recipe is below given for this delicious dish).

Now with 3 children, two dogs and working full time, cooking dinners has become my every day job. There are a few occasions where Nicole will put something in the crock pot the night before, but since I get home first and have time without the children, I take care of the cooking Monday through Friday.

Cooking can be a very rewarding task. Putting in the time to put a healthy meal on the table that your family enjoys and benefits from is something very difficult to explain to someone who has never experienced it before. In my opinion, any guy can throw burgers on a hot grill and move them around, but it takes another type of man to step into the kitchen with the confidence to say, "I got this..."

As I continued to cook, I became more interested in the Food Network, but one chef in particular. Mr. Bobby Flay. Everyone knows him as 'the grill guy', but he can truly do it all. I realize I am not a chef and will never attend culinary school, but you can always learn from people like this. It was from Bobby Flay and his grilling books I've received through the years that inspired me to cook entire meals on my charcoal grill. I took the kitchen, and just moved it outside. (Expect more grilling articles in the future.)

Cooking is something everyone should experience. Putting your stamp on a meal is something truly rewarding, and making the meal healthy just adds to the satisfaction of treating your family to a good-for-you meal.

So, guys, it is time to get off the couch and get into the kitchen and do some work!

Caribbean Tilapia Bowls:
(Feeds a family of 5)

2.5 lbs. Tilapia
3 packs frozen cauliflower
6 Bell Peppers
3 Onions
1 Can Kidney Beans
Chili Powder
Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Old Bay seasoning

- Rinse off the tilapia and dry. Spray a glass dish and place the tilapia evenly on the dish. Coat generously with salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Place in the oven at 350-degrees until the edges of the fish start to brown and the fish is white throughout.

- While the fish is in the oven, place the frozen cauliflower into a pot and fill with water to boil. Allow cauliflower to boil for 5-10 minutes. After cauliflower is fork tender, drain the water, and mash the cauliflower to make cauliflower rice. Season with salt and pepper.

- While the water boils, cut up the bell peppers and onions and caramelize in a pan. Season with salt and pepper.

- Take the kidney beans, strain and rinse the beans, and place them in a small pot to warm on the stove top.

- When the fish is done, remove from oven and mix together breaking up the fish and mixing the seasonings on top.

Put the cauliflower "rice" in the bottom of a bowl with the tilapia, beans and pepper mix on top. Add Old Bay seasoning to specific taste and enjoy!

Kickstart your morning

By: Jeff

Try this Blueberry Banana protein shake to
start your day off right

Rolling out of bed can be the worst part of your day, especially if a good night's sleep wasn't achieved that particular night. However, there are a couple ways to get your day started on the right foot without having to go to extremes.

First, exercise. Some might cringe at the thought of an early morning workout, but I'm not suggesting going to the gym at some ridiculous hour. Body weight exercises can do amazing things to wake you up and turn your body into a calorie burning machine for the day ahead. Here is a quick, and easy, body weight workout you can do to start your day (Pictures of the exercises are at the bottom of the article):

Push Ups - 3 Sets for as many reps as possible
Squats - 3 Sets of 25 repetitions
Planks - 3 Sets holding the plank for 30 seconds a piece
Jumping Jacks - 3 Sets of 25 repetitions
- Completing all 4 exercises is 1 'round'.

If you are new to exercise, do all exercises once, then take a short water break. Then follow the same procedure after each time through the 4 exercises. As you gain more experience and build up your endurance, stop taking breaks in between 'rounds' and you not only will get an incredible workout, but will also get a jolt of energy that coffee or energy drinks can't provide. Plus, this workout can be done under 15 minutes, not taking up the entire morning and works almost the entire body in just 4 body weight exercises.

The second piece to the puzzle is nutrition. Of course it is nutrition, if you read the site we preach how important what you put in your body is. What you put in, is what you get out. Whether you exercised in the morning or not, try this quick and easy protein shake to start your day off right from a nutritional standpoint.

Blueberry Banana Protein Shake

1/2 Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Banana (Frozen if you like a thicker consistency)
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup Kefir (probiotic 'yogurt')
TBSP Peanut Butter
2 scoops Quality Grass Fed whey protein powder (can be chocolate or vanilla...I like chocolate)
Ice till you get the consistency you desire

Blend until dissolved and enjoy!

This simple two-step process will not just kickstart your morning, but will get your out of the door energized with a body ready to take on the day and burn calories in the process. Give it a try and let us know your results!

Push Ups:

Squats:

Planks:

Jumping Jacks:

Good food should take time

By Nicole:

Trust me, we know what it means to be busy. With three children, two dogs and working full time, time is limited.  However, that does not mean the quality of your meals should be sub-par.

In my opinion, meals should take time to create; however, that does not mean you cannot take some short cuts here and there to make your life simpler.  For example, using frozen vegetables and fruits is not the end of the world. But frozen "TV dinners" (even the Healthy Choice and organic options) are not so great.  They are chalked full of sodium and who knows what kinds of preservatives.

So, what is a person to do to prevent from using the prepackaged meals?  In our family, we do a few things to make sure we have lunches for the whole week.  We often make a big pot of soup or chili, buy enough food for some of the dinners we make during the week to ensure we will have leftovers and we always keep a big tub of mixed greens (lettuce) on hand.

Truly, it is that simple.  I know it takes a little more effort, but you really don't want to be stuck grabbing for a Hot Pocket for your lunch that has been in your freezer for who knows how long. Remember, you are trying to set your body up for success and sometimes that takes a little extra effort.

Below are some recipes that are quick and easy. Enjoy!


Taco Bowls

Enough sweet potatoes or yams for all that are eating
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground pork or goat chorizo (if you cannot find chorizo you can always use ground beef and add in Mexican seasonings of cumin, chili and garlic powder and salt and pepper.  Try to stay away from the prepackaged seasoning mixes, they are full of additives).
3 bags frozen pepper and onion mix
3-4 avocados
salsa
plain Greek yogurt

Clean and pierce the sweet potatoes and place in a 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Brown all the meat in a large pan.  Feel free to drain or keep the fat that has cooked off of the meat. Add in the frozen vegetables and continue to cook until all of the vegetables are tender and cooked through.  Open and separate the insides of the avocado from it's skin. I like to mash up the avocado at this point.

Once the potatoes and meat mixture are ready, slice the potatoes open and add a couple of scoops of the meat mix over top the potatoes.  Add a couple of scoops of the mashed avocado, salsa, and yogurt over the meat mixture.

Banana "Ice Cream"

3-4 bananas (slice and freeze for about 2 hours)
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Options:
Our children love adding in different fruits. But our favorite is using all of the ingredients above, plus a bag of frozen pineapple.  It is delicious!  We have even tried adding in PB and cocoa powder, that is not too bad either.

Enjoy!

What the NFL can teach you about your fitness goals

By: Jeff

How the NFL can impact your fitness goals

I am possibly the biggest Pittsburgh Steelers fan you would ever meet. I don't drive a Steelers car or dress up in crazy clothes when the Steelers play, but I love everything about the black n' gold. Growing up, Steelers Sundays were a ritual worth celebrating. You woke up, went to church and the rest of the day was dedicated to the Steelers and NFL football.

The NFL is a big money-maker, but if you are like me and watch every Sunday (or Monday or Thursday and the occasional Saturday) you can take something away from these players that can help your fitness goals.

As you watch these impressive human specimen running, jumping and hitting one another, it is difficult not to be stunned by their overall fitness levels. Even the offensive and defensive linemen are well-tuned athletes built for power and leverage.

So what does this have to do you your fitness goals? Simple. If you want to see the results, you have to work hard.

Look at these players, regardless of position, and you will see people who have dedicated their lives to the sport and their bodies, and it is paying them handsomely. What most don't see is the amount of work these players put into their bodies when cameras aren't rolling. Whether it is sleeping in hyperbaric chambers, having acupuncture multiple times a week or the rigorous workouts which would leave the average human sore and broken for months.

My trip to Pittsburgh in 2013 being a
Steelers NBC Fan of the Week

Obviously, the average Joe is not an elite athlete, but you don't have to be a professional athlete to carry a strong work ethic into your fitness routine. Most of these players didn't wake up fit and strong, it took time and effort.

The same can be said about your individual fitness goals. It isn't going to happen over night, but you have to work hard and have an amount of tenacity if you want to get where you want to go. Have a plan, be ready to execute the plan and when it is time for your workout give it 100 percent.

There will be times when life gets in the way, but remember it is dedication and work ethic that will leave you with the results you desire. Want six-pack abs or just to drop 25 pounds? It will ta
ke a work ethic and focus you've never experienced to reach those goals and stay there. Do the same workout over and over again, expect the same results over and over again.

Take time today to re-evaluate your fitness goals, but also your overall game plan to get the job done. Learn form the NFL players making plays on Sunday by giving your workouts your full attention, and reap the benefits.

If you ever have any workout or fitness questions, be sure to leave a comment below and I will answer as soon as possible.

Alcohol: Your best friend, and worst enemy

By: Jeff

Think twice about your alcohol consumption...

Let's be honest with one another. Most of us reading this love to kick back and have an alcoholic beverage from time to time. It relaxes the body and a serving of alcohol a day has been proven to have health benefits. However, What most people don't realize is the damage alcohol can do to their fitness goals. To put it simply, it can cut your legs right out from underneath you.

When special occasions and holidays approach, it is easy to let yourself go and have one more than you probably should, but if you keep in mind the impact it has on your body, as well as your fitness goals, you might abstain from drinking so much next time.

In the average lager beer there are roughly 180 calories in the 12 ounce beverage. A cup of white wine can contain around 160 calories.

For those that might not realize the amount of exercise it takes to burn off calories, take a look at what it takes to burn 100 calories:

- 10 minutes of intense rowing on a rowing machine.
- 10 minutes of jumping rope
- 15 minutes Sprint interval training
- 10 minutes of riding a stationary bike for 14-16 mph

I could go on, but I think you grasp the concept I'm trying to convey. Alcohol does have some nutritional benefits, but at the same time, if you do the math in terms of how much alcohol you are consuming and what it would take to simply burn off the calories you've inserted into your body you might be asking yourself, "Is it worth it?"

If you drink 5 Miller Lites (96 calories per 12 ounces) at an office gathering after work, you have consumed 480 calories from those beverages. Not counting any food you've eaten, you are now looking at almost an hour on a rowing machine to burn off just the alcohol you've consumed and getting back to where you were before consuming those beers.

Be wise about the type of alcohol you consume too. Beers can contain different types of caramel coloring, GMO  (genetically modified organism) wheat and barely as well as other preservatives which danger the body much worse than just calories consumed.

In other words, next time you are staring at a cooler full of beer or a table filled with wine, think about the consequences your actions have on your overall health and fitness. One or two drinks won't set your fitness goals back, and it will allow you to enjoy yourself throughout the get-together.

Enjoy this time of year, but enjoy it responsibly!

When in doubt, choose local

Eating local food can be better for your health,
as well as the environment.

By Nicole:

Personally, I like knowing what is in the food we eat. The food we eat as a family has always been a battle I am willing to fight for, especially if it is something our children will be eating too. 

Being a physical/health educator I have always had a connection with nutrition and of course physical activity. It wasn't until our oldest was born that I fully submersed myself in the whole concept of nutrition and the effects it has on our body.

For most of my life I placed a ton of trust in the recommended guidelines from the food pyramid, which became MyPyramid and now MyPlate. Then I read the book Skinny Bitch, which opened my eyes to the whole Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO).  After reading and doing more research we decided that we would try following a pescatarian diet (fish, eggs, veggies,fruit, nuts/seeds, and grains), because at that time we were not able to find local grass fed meats. 

Then our oldest our oldest was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and our eyes were opened to the whole world of blood sugar spikes.  What was causing those spikes? I am sure you can guess...wheat, corn, fruits, juice, oats, rice, etc. So gradually we started to eliminate those foods which were causing huge blood sugar spikes and added meat back into our lives (protein is a "free" food for diabetics, meaning it does not contain carbohydrates).

Thankfully, we found a local farm that raises their animals they way animals should be raised (cows should eat grass and pigs and chickens should eat off of the land) .  It truly is nice knowing that our meat has not been fed antibiotics or growth hormones. Believe it or not, but those hormones and antibiotics become part of your food, which eventually can lead to many health problems, antibiotic resistance being one of them.  It is also nice to know that our meat is local and not from hundreds of miles away from our grocery store, decreasing the carbon footprint on the enviroment.

In closing, if you are not able to find a trustworthy place to buy your meat, choosing organic meat is second best.  If that is still not an option, just make sure that the meat you are buying is free of hormones and antibiotics.

If you live close to our home town (Hagerstown, MD) and would like to know where we buy our meat, please feel free to ask in the comment section below the article.

In the mean time enjoy the recipe below:

Fall Harvest Crockpot Chicken

1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 sweet onion, diced
1 pear, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup chicken broth (optional)
2 bay leaves
Sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cinnamon

Layer squash, half the onions, pears, and cranberries on top.  Add 1 bay leaf and some spices. Arrange a layer of chicken on top of the spices.  Add another layer of spices and second bay leaf on top of the chicken.  Add the remaining onion, pear, and cranberries.  Pour the broth over the mixture (this is optional, to make the dish more like soup).

Cook on high for 3 hours and then on low for 90 minutes

A great cold weather meal! Happy eating!

The Key to New Year's Resolution Success

By: Jeff

Time to get started on those New Year's resolutions...

It is only mid-December, but the new year is right around the corner. Some of you may have already started thinking about possible resolutions for 2015. If you are in that group, good for you! It is never too late to think about ways to improve yourself as the calendar year changes.

Nonetheless, everyone has experienced those New Year's resolutions where by March they are nothing more than a distant memory. That is assuming you made it to March.

So as most people wonder, what is the key to reaching those goals you set for yourself? In my professional opinion, the key is to start early, but before I go any further, a quick re-cap on the age old acronym for setting goals. If you are not familiar, here it is:

S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R - Reasonable
T - Timely

All of your goals, whether they are physical fitness goals or simply life goals, should fall into the categories above.

After using the S.M.A.R.T. system for creating goals, it is then you focus on starting your goals early. As a trainer you love the new year. Clients come from out of the woodwork wanting to workout, wanting to purchase training sessions and to get kick started on their resolutions. However, those eager clients all fade away in late February/early March and things slowly go back to the way they were.

Why does this happen? Simple. Most people join a gym of some kind, and immediately find it overwhelming. There are huge crowds, machines they aren't sure how to use and the intimidation of the regulars trying to get through their workout in a timely fashion. A lot of pressure for a newbie just trying to get started.

The fix is simple. If the gym atmosphere is the route you want to take, get to your gym as soon as possible and sign up. Get a head start on the new year crowd. By doing so you will allow yourself to get accustomed to the machines, find a workout you are comfortable with and can get the help you need if you are struggling. All before the gym turns into a madhouse.

If the gym isn't where you aspire to be, you should still get to work on those goals early. By working on your goals now, you will not only have a workout plan and routine set in place, but there won't be as much pressure compared to all that accompanies the new year and those resolutions.

Lastly, starting your goals now will only help you power your way through the holiday season. If your long term goal is to drop 50 pounds, you starting a workout program now will help you stay focused and not go on a 3-day binge of cookies, cake and other pastries which could derail your goals before you had a chance to get your feet wet.

The holidays are tough. New Year resolutions don't last.

Be the antithesis to these rules by exercising your way through the holidays and starting the new year already en route to success!

It's all about your Blood Sugar

By Nicole:

Blood sugar can greatly impact your health, even
for the non-diabetic.

The pancreas is an organ in the body we all take for granted, until it doesn't work anymore. Your pancreas is responsible for so many functions that most are not aware of.  I hate to say that one of it's functions is more important than the other, however, the production of insulin is probably it's most important.

Here are some questions, and answers, to some common questions regarding blood sugar and what they have to do with you.

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that is produced by your pancreas.  Your body uses insulin to move the sugar (glucose) obtained from food from the bloodstream into the cells throughout the body.  The cells are then able to use the sugar for energy.  However, if your pancreas does not work, then your blood sugar will rise to dangerously high levels.  Those high blood sugar levels are what will cause damage in your body from kidney, nerve, vision and cardiovascular damage.

What does this mean to my health?

Generally, you should try to avoid blood sugar spikes after eating, to ensure your body doesn't have to produce as much insulin to help metabolize your food.  Research suggests that your fasting blood sugar should be less than 95 mg/dL, anything over and you could be setting yourself up for disease. Remember, bacteria, viruses, and cancers thrive off of sugar; therefore, eating a diet that is low in sugar, less than 25 grams of fructose daily will help keep disease at bay.

What are some foods that cause a blood sugar spike?

Recognize that not all foods are created equal, some cause a higher spike than others.  Foods like corn, wheat, rice (white and brown), oats and many fruits will all cause acute spikes in blood sugar.

So, what can I eat?

High fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrate meals.  Please remember fat is actually good for you and important for your body.  Just try to fill over half of your plate with vegetables and a small amount of protein. One of your most important goals should be to try and source the majority of your food from grass-fed sources. These would include animal by-products, butter, eggs, and meat.

Below are some examples of meals we eat on a weekly basis

• Salmon, sweet potatoes with butter, and green peas
• Meatloaf, roasted cauliflower, and green beans
• Black bean burgers, green beans with bacon, and roasted broccoli
• Spaghetti - spaghetti squash, sauce and ground beef

If you are wondering if our children eat what we eat, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Our children eat exactly what we eat, they just get a little more carbohydrates through sweet potatoes and fruit.

Finally a few recipes to try for the weekend...

Pumpkin Pancakes

4 eggs

1/2 cup pumpkin

2 TBSP coconut flour

2 TBSP coconut oil- melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 banana- mashed

1/4 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

pinch of salt

Combine and mix all ingredients, let sit for about 5 minutes to let coconut flour absorb.  This can then be made into pancakes, muffins or put in a pan for bread.  It is delicious with some butter and apple butter or just by itself.

Chicken chili

6 chicken thighs

6 small chicken breasts

Medium jar of salsa

1 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

salt/pepper to taste

1 can black beans- rinsed and drained

Place the first 7 ingredients into the crock pot on high for 3-4 hours.  Once the chicken is cooked, the chicken should shred.  Add the black beans and let cook through.

Enjoy, and be content knowing what you eat can help sustain those blood sugar levels throughout the entire day.

Don't fall for the gimmicks of the food industry

All those labels...consumers must read between the lines.

By: Jeff

Around the holiday season you are enticed by gimmicks everywhere. The latest gadget on television, the new car promotion at the local dealership and even at your local grocery store. The difference between the examples previously mentioned, the grocery store gimmicks aren't just near the holidays, but all year long.

There are a million gimmicks at the grocery store, and all are horrible in their own unique way, but for today's article I am going to focus on the hottest word in the food business: the healthy food industry.

People are starting to buy healthier/organic all the time. Why? Well, because it says organic on it, obviously. The issue with this is not all healthy/organic foods are created equal.

Companies have made millions upon millions of dollars by putting words like 'Natural' and 'Free-Range' on their products to hoodwink you into thinking their products are ultimately better for you. However, that isn't always the case. Do some research and you will see the real truth.

The following came from a great article you can read on your own by clicking THIS LINK:

"Natural" - A "natural" or "all-natural" product seems to imply that all the ingredients were plucked straight from nature with no interference from human beings, but in reality there isn't much on this earth that ISN'T natural. The FDA only regulates the word "natural" in meat and poultry products to include those that contain no artificial substances - although confusingly, genetically modified organisms are allowed. One could convincingly argue that even petroleum by-products, high fructose corn syrup and rat excrement are natural - after all, they all came from the natural world. Perhaps the biggest offender on this list, the tag "natural" on any item is basically meaningless and has been usurped by grocery manufacturers trying to compete with the certified organic food label.
"Local" - There are no legal standards for the word "local," so your grocer could put up oranges from Chile and call them "local" with no repercussions. How to avoid this conundrum? Shop for produce at farmers markets, visit local farms and get to know the people who grow your food.
"Free Range" - As far as the USDA is concerned, the only certifiable "free range" food items are poultry and eggs. The law states that chickens must be "allowed access to the outside," yet there are zero specifications as to how big this outdoor area must be. There might be one door that goes to a 4'x4' yard for 100 chickens or more that are all eating hormone-fueled, pesticide-drenched food. Your best bet is to purchase USDA Certified Organic eggs. Other "free range" meats such as beef or pork are not regulated at all, and you will just have to trust the manufacturer (or do your research).
"Made with Whole Grains" - This product might include 99.99% refined grains and .01% whole grains, but there's no way to know because the term is not regulated. The manufacturer could throw two grains of oatmeal into five tons of their product and assert that it is "Made with Whole Grains." Don't fool yourself into thinking you are eating healthier than you are!
"Lightly-sweetened" - Surely a food product that is "lightly-sweetened" contains less sugar than the norm, right? Not necessarily. Another unregulated term, "lightly-sweetened" is used to describe plenty of products that are loaded with sugar, corn syrup or other sweeteners. This food label means nothing!

When you see the truth about what the food industry does to trick consumers into buying their products it should make you feel wronged in many ways. After all, you are trying to make healthy decisions for you and your family, not to be conned into buying something which doesn't provide what the label promises.

However, if you look at the list of products that might have the label 'Made with Whole Grains', it shouldn't be purchased if you've made the jump to a Paleo or Primal lifestyle. Avoiding artificial sweeteners would eliminate the 'Lightly-Sweetened' label as well.

The real issues are with the 'Natural', 'Free-Range' and 'Local' tags. Your best bet? Try and find a local farmer that can give you an in-depth and honest look into how their food is produced and their animals are raised, sheltered and fed from birth until the end of their lives. It might be more expensive, and it might take some time to find, but there are farmers in your area who are doing their job the way it is supposed to be done. All you have to do is find them.

Consider this just the first of many articles with the theme of not trusting our country's food industry. Knowledge is power, and as the site progresses you will see more information regarding the shady nuances of our crooked federal food industry. Some might say 'ignorance is bliss', but when it comes to your health, you should know the truth.

Keepin' it clean...and I'm talking about your diet

Keep it clean and reap the benefits!

By: Jeff

Ever see those people in the gym every day, every week and every month yet never seem to change? They obviously work out, but what is the problem? They work hard and are diligent in their routines, but something doesn't add up.

What doesn't add up is what they are doing outside of the gym. You could work out an hour a day, have the most precise strategy and work your tail off while doing it, and still not see results. The missing piece of the puzzle is nutrition.

If you think of your fitness goals as a house, poor nutrition will leave you with an extremely shaky and unstable foundation. Support your fitness goals with solid nutrition and you will see gains like you've never seen before.

So with the myriad of diets and weird gimmicks on the market, what should you do? The answer is simple...keep it clean.

When it comes to eating in a Paleo or Primal fashion, it is a lifestyle not a diet. Diets are fads that wax and wane throughout our society just to eventually fade away. Remember the Adkins Diet, the Low Fat craze of the early 90's (quite possibly the worst thing ever to happen to this country from a nutritional standpoint) and of course the South Beach and Sonoma Diets? All once prominent, now gone.

All those plans have a start and an end point. Problem is, people who use these as the framework for their overall health are left wondering what to do when they've finished the plan laid out for them.

When researching a nutrition plan, the best case scenario is to find one that is flexible. This is where a Paleo or Primal lifestyle fits almost every lifestyle. Sure, it requires some sacrifice, but that is to be expected with any set of dietary guidelines. After all, if it were easy everyone would be walking around with six-pack abs.

For both the Paleo and Primal nutritional guidelines you only need to follow the nuts and bolts to see success. Stick to whole foods. Foods that have a shelf life, not ones that can sit around for 6 months and still be edible. Fruits, vegetables and lean protein sources. Eliminate breads, starches, artificial sugars and pastas.

Nicole and I have been doing a challenge from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. After gorging ourselves with pumpkin pie, we have eliminated all sweets, starches, artificial sugars and even alcohol from our diets for nearly a month. Both of us have been going strong and haven't cheated once since that time. The results you see from a good training regimen along with a nutritional plan like this is remarkable.

Eat as much as you want, just make it good, clean food. When the challenge ends, we won't go to eating Ben & Jerry's every night (although that is tempting with my sweet tooth), but will simply plan accordingly once a week to have something extra. It is about enjoying the holidays, having a cheat meal once in a while, but never letting it lead to a complete derailment of your progress.

Enjoy the holidays, but this time around let's keep it clean will ya?!

Work Smarter, Not Longer

By: Jeff

Enjoy the family and the holiday season without
your workouts suffering.

The holidays are a busy time of the year for everyone. Little children rabidly anticipate the holiday season, and parents typically follow suit. Nonetheless, often times the question of exercise is posed during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

The answer to the questions of, "How do I find time?" and "My workouts seem dull and tired." have an easy solution.

Workout smarter, not longer.

For many, the answer to the questions above are longer workouts, more strenuous exercises and trying to squeeze workouts in whenever you can. Wrong, wrong and wrong.

The simple answer referenced earlier speaks to the modern style of training vs. the old-school style. The ancient proverb of exercise states a minimum of 1 hour must be spent in the gym with multiple days of cardiovascular training mixed in with weight training

The opposite can be said about the modern style of training. Workout smarter by shortening your workouts with a mixture of high intensity training methods that will train both the muscular and cardiovascular systems simultaneously.

Everyone has their 'go-to' workouts and habits when it comes to exercise, but making just a small adjustment to your workout can pay huge dividends in many aspects of your life. Here are 5 simple rules to follow to bullet-proof your workouts heading into the holidays:

5 Rules to Follow:

1.) Workouts shouldn't last longer than an hour - Any work put in after the hour mark has passed typically is a waste of time and energy. Forget about the muscle heads at the gym and understand what you are doing will benefit you more than what they are doing.

2.) Train the entire body every workout - Ditch the 'Mondays are chest, Tuesdays are back, etc. workouts for a more synergistic approach that will lead to more calories burned, less time taken and a healthier you as your muscles are never overloaded to the point of exhaustion.

3.) Work quickly, but not fast - Super-sets, tri-sets and other combinations are key to this exercise program. Depending on the overall goal of the workout, you can attack multiple muscle groups in a matter of seconds. If you are focusing on a body weight workout, you could do 20 push-ups, get up and do 10 pull ups, followed by walking lunges. Those three exercises not only work nearly every major muscle in the human body, but can be accomplished in minutes, not hours. Do 4 sets of that workout without any breaks, and you will certainly feel the cardiovascular benefits as well as the muscular benefits.

4.) Plan ahead - When the holidays approach, schedules get jumbled. Recitals, meetings, visits with the in-laws. You get the idea, but if you look at your week ahead and see where there is a time for you to put in 30 minutes of work, it leaves you without the excuse of, "I just got too busy".

5.) Stick with the plan - It is easy to fall back into the workout rut you were previously in by simply doing the 'same old same old' whenever you grace your local fitness establishment. However, in partner with Rule #4, if you write out your workout the day before your scheduled workout, you will already have your plan of attack armed and ready before stepping foot in the gym.

People often over think exercise. Stick to multiple joint movements (more pull ups and less biceps curls), work at an efficient pace (no need to drink a gallon of water during a session with 5 minute conversations in between sets) and don't stress about how your individual gains (people get too wrapped up in how much weight they benched that particular day). You will have peaks and valleys, just listen to your body, but if you follow these 5 simple rules, you will be able to spend more time with your family, enjoy the holidays and not feel horrible about not exercising during the busiest time of the calendar year.

Live Well and Drop Dead

Nicole & Jeff

If you had a choice of living a shorter life that ended with a lingering disease, or a longer life that resulted in your final day being as good as ever, which would you choose?

Most would choose the longer, healthier life.

This is where this website got it's start. As parents of 3 small children, we have seen the way we live our lives change drastically in the last 6 years. Everything from the way we train our bodies, to how we treat our bodies has take a full 180 degree turnaround.

We now have found a balance in our lives that was absent for years. Our plan is to share our success with others in hopes they can find the same balance we did. We look to share workouts, recipes and general health tips that will be able to help anyone live their lives in a healthier way.

The main writers on this site are Jeff and Nicole. We have been married for 7 years and are Physical Education teachers. We are not certified dietitians, but Jeff was a full-time personal trainer and successfully trained individuals and groups before deciding to teach full-time. Nicole continues to be a group exercise instructor part-time along with teaching.

We hope you join us and take the first step to leading a happier and healthier lifestyle! If you have a question or comment, leave it in the comment section below.