Is your Penis Shrinking? Maybe you should eat Organic!

Well now that I've got your attention, I'll give you my reasoning behind eating organic.

"Organic foods are those that are produced using environmentally sound methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives."


I know it's nearly impossible to consume solely organic fruits and vegetables, but it's definitely worth trying. My mother is the reason I started to eat organic fruits and vegetables... At first I didn't take her seriously and thought organic fruits and vegetables were too expensive. I was eating healthy, wasn't I already doing enough? Well finally my mom's numerous emails, forwarded articles and nagging kicked in.I'm so grateful that her relentless effort to inform me of the importance of eating organic finally registered! Maybe I might be able to have a little influence on your choices the next time you go grocery shopping.

Lot's of people bring up cost issues when buying organic comes into conversation. I totally understand how hard it is these days to try to budget and eat healthy, when organic produce runs about 20% more than conventional groceries. But I have to argue that your health is priceless. You might be saving money now, but you may be paying big time with medical bills and health complications in the future.

So, back to why I eat organic (or try to eat organic as much as possible) It isn't really about nutrition. Sure there have been studies that show organic produce to contain a higher percentage of antioxidants. My choice to eat organic is to avoid the scary chemicals and pesticides.

"The real reason to eat organic food is that the thousands of chemicals used to grow chemical foods are causing horrific health and environmental problems....multiple well-documented studies from reliable sources show that chemical pesticides, fungicides, herbicides, and the GMO's used in chemically based food production, are implicated in, if not causing, the following health problems: diabetes, obesity, cancer, autism, Parkinson's disease, male sterility, genital deformities, female infertility, miscarriage, infant deformities, ADHD, hormonally caused gender confusion, asthma, allergies, accelerated aging, and smaller penises in boys, amphibians, and other wildlife.

Pretty scary right? Smaller penises? I'm sure every guy reading this is going strictly organic now! Hahaha, But in all seriousness, trying to eat organic isn't a bad decision when it comes to living a life free of health complications and disease.

If you have to cut costs, here is a list of the most important foods to eat organic:

1. Baby Food
2. Strawberries
3. Rice
4. Green and Red Bell Peppers
5. Milk
6. Corn
7. Bananas
8. Green Beans
9. Peaches
10. Apples
11. Cherries
12. Celery
13. Apricots and Grapes
14. Soybeans
15. Potatoes
16. Raisins
17. Cucumbers


Sources: Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodal http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Manifesto-Farming-Planet-World/dp/1605294853

Holy Shit Boot Camp Kicked my Ass today

My Bootcamp class is one of the toughest classes I teach. It's high intensity, challenging and varies from day to day. We use the Spin Bikes in cold/wet weather and go outdoors when it warms up. We use kettle bells, medicine balls, bands, weights, benches, bosu balls and incorporate body weight exercises and plyos. This morning was a rough one- 6:30 am Thursday, Feb 17th 2011 Workout of the Day:

10 minute warmup on bike
1 min kettle bells swings 15lbs
1 min burpees with push up and overhead shoulder press 5- 8lbs
1 min wall ball medicine ball squats 8-12lbs
1 min wall sit with inner leg ball squeeze
1 min torpedo rollups with jump

5 min on Spin bike out of the saddle/jumps alternating every minute

repeat twice

5 min on Spin Bike out of the saddle climb alternating seated race pace every minute

1 min situps
45 seconds mt.climbers
45 seconds knees to floor in pushup plank
45 seconds knee to opposite shoulder in pushup plank
45 seconds floor to ceiling jump squats
20 seconds high knees

repeat

Time to barf and go on the rest of the day!! :)

Fitness is Timeless

I've been teaching a class called Silver and Fit for about 4 years. When I first started teaching fitness classes (about 12 years ago), I would of never imagined myself teaching an "older" adult fitness class. I lacked the patience, knowledge of how the body aged, and I suppose the interest in working with aging adults. Right when I started teaching Silver and Fit- I lost my Grandmother Mary. Being amongst this group of Seniors always made me think of her- and filled some of the void I felt from her loss. Now working with older adults has become
one of my main interests as I continue my career path. No class has given me the satisfaction, wisdom and overall awesome feeling I get after each and every class that I teach. These seniors are incredibly inspirational as they keep moving and working hard in every class. Everyone has their past and present injuries, aches and pains, and strengths and weaknesses- but they show up day after day- never complaining- just smiling and moving on. This is what I want to be in my 70's, 80's and 90's. Their quality of life is so much healthier and happier- they are able to be independent, strong, fight disease and prevent injuries from exercise.

My class has become somewhat of a family. We check up on each other- notice if someone is sick or hurt. We see each other for two hours a week- and although the exercise, stretching and strength training is important- the social aspect is just as important. Friendships have been built through these Senior classes- which is invaluable- especially for members who have lost their spouses along the way...
So this week has been bittersweet- we kept plugging away, lifting weights, stretching muscles, breaking a sweat- but we were without one. We lost a very special lady- Martha- who's positive smily attitude, aura and happy go lucky personality will be greatly missed. Martha hardly ever missed a day the last 4 years I've been teaching Silver and Fit ... she did what she could- never complaining about her aches and pains- and was always smiling. We dedicated our workout to her this morning, signed a card for her family and said goodbye till the next week- cause I suppose we gotta keep on moving on- that's what Martha would of wanted.

If you want to know more about the Silver and Fit program for seniors - check it out at:
http://www.silverandfit.com/silverandfit/About/SilverAndFitProgram.aspx

crossfit

So I've been doing crossfit for the last 2 years- It's super intense, elite fitness- and I fell in love with the brutal rawness and passion of it. Check it out if you have never heard about it.
http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/start-how.html

I incorporate the philosophy in my classes and with my clients- although I have been modifying workouts to fit my particular goals and clients fitness levels. After two years- I was pretty fit- but my upper body was too ripped for my liking and I felt too heavy for running and plyos from all the muscle I had built... I was strong- but I looked a bit scary and for my tastes I'd rather lean out up top and look more feminine... The workouts are geared more towards elite athletes, fire fighters, the military and men... I don't want to look like Arnold- I want to look healthy and fit- not like Andre the Giant.. So over the last 3 months I've changed things up and really like the results. I'm not doing as heavy of lifts and I'm adding more cardio- running, skipping rope and using the stairmill. I've also been fine tuning accessory muscles- which has pulled me in and tightened me in places that I've been focusing on- like my glutes, hips and abs. Crossfit can be pretty expensive - I was spending $60 a week taking private classes- but decided to cut back- and do my own version at my home gym or work. I learned a lot from my coach- especially breaking down Olympic lifts, and how to safely perform them. Here is a brief description of the crossfit philosophy:

"Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports."
~Greg Glassman

healthy snack of choice- almonds

Almonds are also known to have great medicinal value. Few of the benefits of almonds are given below.

Good for brain: Almond is a source of many nutrients which help in development of the brain. Almond induces high intellectual level and has been considered as an essential food item for growing children. Many mothers give almonds soaked in water to their children daily in the morning (2-3 pieces of soaked almonds are good enough, you can also remove the outer shell if it causes allergy to you.
Regulates cholesterol: Regular consumption of almonds helps to increase the level of high density lipoproteins (HDL) and reduce the level of low density lipoproteins (LDL), thereby effectively controlling cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol.
Good for heart: Mono-saturated fat, protein and potassium contained in almonds are good for the heart. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and reduces the risk of heart diseases. The presence of magnesium in almonds helps to avoid heart attacks. Almonds help reduce C-reactive protein which causes artery-damaging inflammation. Almond is also a source of folic acid. They therefore help to reduce the level of homocystein, which causes fatty plaque buildup in arteries.


Skin care: The benefits of almond for skin care are well known, and hence a massage with almond oil is often recommended for new born babies. Almond milk is also added in some soaps as almonds help in improving the complexion of the skin.
Regulates blood pressure: Potassium present in almond helps to regulates blood pressure. Almonds are very low in sodium which also helps in containing blood pressure.
Prevention of cancer: Almond improves the movement of food through the colon, thereby preventing colon cancer.
Protection against diabetes: Almonds also help in reducing the rise in sugar and insulin levels after meals. This offers protection from diabetes.
Good in pregnancy: Almond contains folic acid. Folic acid helps to reduce the incidence of birth defects in newborn babies.
Weight loss: Unsweetened almond milk helps one to reduce weight. The mono-saturated fat contained in almonds satisfies appetite and prevents over-eating. Studies have revealed that almond rich low calorie diet is good for obese people to assist in shedding their weight.
Prevention of constipation: Almonds are rich in fibre. Like most other fibre rich food, almonds also help in preventing constipation. Make sure you drink good amount of water after eating almonds.
Boosts energy: The presence of manganese, copper and Riboflavin

Bringing me back to my college days....

M-1(dead Prez ) - 5 Elements [EXCLUSIVE+LYRICS]

This song alway is a sure thing to pump me up before I get out and move.......

It's time to blog....

I'm just waking up... even though I didn't get too much sleep I'm not feeling to bad. I'm on my way to the Nike Employee store today to see what they've got.  I pretty much wear  Nike and Lululemon when I'm teaching and working out- and it's been awhile since I've checked out Nike. Tonight I teach Strength and Stamina- a pretty bad ass class that's high energy and challenging. The students that take this class expect to get their ass kicked- which I enjoy. It keeps me challenged as well, always exploring new moves to teach and feed their craving to be pushed. We do a lot of pylometrics and body weight type of exercises- like burpees, variations of jump squats and pushups. Here are some inspirational videos that I will be bringing to the table tonight... This is one bad ass chick, Zusana, not only is her body obviously amazing- she truly is one strong, and hardworking girl- you know she's worked for it- which is pretty cool in my book. Here are some of the moves we will be doing in class today: