Mexican Bean Salad

March Madness is just around the corner.  For many of us Americans it is another excuse to eat and drink in excess.  The timing couldn’t be worse for anyone trying to shed a few of those extra winter pounds to ready themselves for a  Spring Break get-a-way.  For your next get together try this healthy and tasty (yes tasty!) recipe from www.carlagoldenwellness.com .   I know Kara Paris has a delicious version of this Mexican Bean Salad as a salsa that she has brought to a few FBD cookouts.  I came across this version while looking through web-sites and ideas for  healthy nutrition options.  This Bean Salad is delicious without Tortilla Chips!

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can organic Kidney Beans, rinsed an drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can organic Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can organic Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 organic green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 organic tomatoes, chopped
• 1 (15 ounce) can organic corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• 1 head of cilantro chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup organic balsamic vinegar
• juice from 1 lemon
• juice from 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons raw agave syrup
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, corn, cilantro, and red onion.  In a seperate small bowl wisk together olive oil, vinegar, citrus juices, agave, salt, garlic, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper.

Pour dressing over beans and veggies, mix well, chill thoroughly and serve cold.

~ Lisa

This observation is just that.  I’m not here to advocate the credibility of any Men’s fitness rag out there, but from time to time their articles get me thinking..  Ladies; compare your fitness level to your daughter,  niece or neighbor’s kid, while guys; compare yourself to your son or nephew.  A recent article printed on November 30th in Men’s Health News by Scott Rosenfield looked at this question.  Since I also have a 15 year old son, the article caught my eye for just this reason.  This article was very vague on the research, but my own undocumented research based on years in the fitness business would concur that many 25 year olds have already lost their fitness edge.  The article went on to say that the average 25 year old is only as fit as a 15 year old kid.  Their research indicated that the 25 year old and 15 year old were equal in strength and endurance in a 40 second under-hand chin “hang” and a 1,000 meter run (270 seconds).

I find this statistic sad…25.. and it all goes downhill from there.  Additionally, in their research group (which came from Germany, so possibly the study participants were less overweight than the USA?) 51% of the 25 year olds were overweight, compared to only 28.3% of 19 year olds.  Researchers credited sports and physical education (gym class), for the difference, but additionally other lifestyle differences between the 25 year old compared to the 15 year old probably made up for some of the disparity.

If your lifestyle is lacking Gym Class, we can help…Unlimited Strength and Conditioning classes can be purchased for as little as $129 per month.  Call us if you are interested in gym class at less than $5.50 per day.  Soon you may be as strong as your 15 year old!   By the way, my son is the 2nd one in the clip doing the deadlift, and no I can’t match it, my best is just under at 205 lbs.

 Now go out and lift or run or something ~ Lisa Hudson

Article shared with us by “Alicia and Carrie” of Complete Bootcamp Workouts

If you can’t lose weight, there are specific reasons for this that you have more control over than you think.

You’re not strength training. Often, people who can’t lose weight don’t do any strength training. The more lean, sleek muscle you have, the faster your resting metabolism, because muscle is the body’s most metabolically active tissue.

You’re not exercising in a way that forces the body to adapt. The adaptive response requires energy; it raises your body’s energy needs. The body will then dig into stored fat for this energy.

If you’ve been strength training and the weight hasn’t been coming off, it’s because you’re not doing much more than merely going through the motions.

There’s the story of a heavy-set woman who was doing lat pull-downs with 70 pounds. A trainer waltzed over, knelt beside her, said “Hi” with a smile, then moved the machine’s pin to the 100 pound mark.  The woman’s mouth fell open, but the trainer said, “You’re going to do 100 pounds for your next set, and eight times.”  “I can’t do 100 pounds!”  “Oh yes you can. Trust me. You’re going to complete eight reps.”

The woman said her goal was to lose weight, but nothing was happening despite regular workouts. She began pulling down the bar, and it wasn’t easy. She had to fight her way to the eighth rep, but she completed eight full repetitions.  The trainer said, “Now that’s the way every set should feel. Apply this effort level to all of your sets for every exercise. You won’t lose weight if you keep doing something your body is efficient at. You must do something that forces you to struggle. Struggling begets weight loss.”

A month later the woman reported having dropped an entire dress size.  Moral of this true story: Exercises that require struggling will burn fat and cause weight loss, especially when coupled with sensible eating.

You eat mindlessly. Every little sample and nugget counts. One tablespoon of gravy is 100 calories. A “little bit here and there” adds up. Avoid eating due to cues not related to sustenance, such as watching TV.

You drink diet sodas. (We’ve written about this one before ) Artificial sweeteners often trigger hunger.  Too many processed foods. These trigger hunger, and too much white sugar and high fructose corn syrup will get stored as fat.

You skip breakfast. We would like to add that you skip protein at breakfast, which we think is important.  Breakfast, even if it’s only a cup of yogurt, tends to tame later-day appetite.   Skipping it can make you feel entitled to overeat later on.

You don’t do cardio. It’s amazing how many people, who don’t do cardio, wonder why they can’t lose weight.  Taking care of two preschoolers or pulling weeds does not replace structured cardiovascular exercise.

You hold onto the treadmill. This has got to be one of the most weight-loss-sabotaging habits out there. The body has absolutely no reason to burn more fat in response to make-believe walking.  Instead, pump the arms and get winded to force your body to adapt. Remember, the body won’t adapt to something that it’s very efficient at doing (e.g., walking while holding onto something for support).

You don’t do HIIT: highintensity interval training. This form of cardio blasts fat.

Inconsistent exercise habits. Weight loss won’t go hard and deep if your workouts are not consistent. Even if you’re doing everything right in the gym, consistency is still very important.

Poor sleeping habits. Research shows that under six hours of sleep and over nine are strongly linked to excess body fat.

Too much daytime napping. Excessive inertia means a slowed metabolism to accommodate it.

Before you blame your parents and grandparents for having “the wrong genes,” review your lifestyle habits to find out what can be modified to promote fat loss.  Changing any one of these things can help you achieve your weight loss goals. 

For more details on changes you can make to boost weight loss, call us today.

Why Soda Is Making You Fat!

If you’ve been drinking one or more sodas every day, that aluminum can in your hand is to blame for those extra digits on the scale.  We’re not talking a couple pounds either. We’re talking long term weight gain.  One can of cola adds more than 100 calories to your daily intake.  That’s over 10 lbs of additional body fat everyyear.

Obesity, type-2 diabetes, and soda addiction have all risen together steadily and scarily over the past decades.   Coincidence?  Not a chance.   Soda is sabotaging your body.

What’s so bad about a little bubbly liquid?  Lots and lots of calories and zero nutritional value.  Sugary soft drinks account for almost 10% of the average American’s daily caloric intake.  That’s a ton of empty calories that lack any of the nutrients, fiber, or minerals your body needs to function.   Because soda’s missing what your body craves, no matter how much you drink you’ll still be left feeling hungry.   So, on top ofhundreds of empty calories, you pile on additional food that still counts against your ideal daily allotment.

Remember, there is one absolute truth: if you take in more calories than you burn you will gain weight.  Your odds of becoming obese increase as much as 1.6 times for every 12 ounces of soda you drink over the course of the day. That’s because one small can of soda holds a whopping 140 calories of added sugar.   Reality check: at most fast food restaurants, a 12 ounce serving of soda is considered the kiddie size.

Go directly to fat jail.   All these added sugars are simple sugars, meaning they are readily and easily absorbed.   When you take in such a high volume so quickly your insulin spikes.   Your body can’t handle the rapid influx, which leads to extra glucose being stored as fat.   You don’t get any lasting energy from the liquid carbs; you get that familiar and inevitable crash. Instead of being ready to hit the gym to burn off any extra fat, you’re so exhausted you just hit the couch.   Do not pass go.   Do not collect $200.

I’ll just switch to diet soda!  Not so fast.   Recent studies show that over time diet sodas still cause weight gain.  If you drink 2 or more servings of diet soda a day you are 5 times more likely to increase dangerous visceral fat in your midsection.  That extra fat puts you at greater risk for diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.  Let’s say you only drink a single serving of diet soda a day.  Diet soda is still high in sodium.  The more sodium in your body, the more water you’ll retain.  Which means if you’re trying to lose weight, diet soda can actually make it that much harder move the scale in the right direction.  And let’s not forget the artificial sweeteners in diet soda – a BIG no-no!

Instead of sodas, why not reach for healthier and even more refreshing beverages?  If you won’t give up the carbonated bite of soda, mix two parts seltzer water with one part 100% fruit juice – like powerhouse pomegranate or cranberry. You’ll get your pleasant pop and fizz along with rich antioxidants and vitamins. Embrace homemade smoothies made with fresh fruit and almond milk or greek yogurt for added protein.

Maybe it’s time you jump on the green tea train.  Even if you sweeten your tea, you’re more likely to check your sugar intake when you’re the one spooning in the sweetener.  Or reach for that oldie but goodie, pure H2O.

One thing is for sure: cut out sodas and you’ll start to feel lighter than carbonated air.

Let us help you rid yourself of the nutrition which sabotages your health and help you make better choices you can trust.

Call or email us today!

~article taken from The Bootcamp Girls with their permission 02/14/12

The month of February is Airdyne Challenge month at Fitness by Design.  Sign up now to pledge your miles.  The Challenge begins February 1st and runs through the 29th.

This challenge is organized to inspire you to keep your cardio going and try something new in the gym.    In March, you have the option to test your fitness level by entering a 3 mile Airdyne Race at FBD. 

If you participated in the Rowing Challenge, you will remember that we had a drawing each week for a fun prize.  We will be doing the same for this challenge.  Each time that you ride, please place your name on a ticket and place it in the “Bowl” at reception.  We will draw out one lucky winner each Friday.  Each time you ride, you may place a ticket in the bowl, so the more often you ride, the better your chances.

In order to do the challenge you need to figure out the number of miles to ride.  We have 4 categories for you:  25 miles, 50 miles, 75 miles, and 100 miles. 

Riding at a very comfortable BEGINNER PACE it should take you 5 minutes to complete 1 mile.  In 15 minutes you can do 3 miles.  If you ride 15 minutes for 9 days, over the course of the month you will achieve your 25 mile goal (actually 27 miles).

At the other end of the spectrum, a very fast or ADVANCED PACE for women would be 3 miles in 10 minutes.  An advanced  or fast pace for men is 3 miles in 8 minutes.    There will be a chart in the hallway near the stairs where you can plot your progress.  You will get to see the names of the other participants and offer words of encouragment or talk “smack”, whichever you prefer!

Have fun with it!  The airdyne is a tool that most gyms relegate to the corner, but we actually use it at FBD.  It is a great cardio tool.  If you have any problems figuring out the monitor, don’t hesitate to ask one of us.  The sign-up sheet is already at reception.  Ride, Ride, Ride!

This chart may help you determine your goal.  Sets refers to the number of times you would need to ride for 15, 12, 10, or 8 minute segments.  You may sit down and ride for 30 minutes at a 15 minute pace thus meeting 6 miles toward your goal or 2 sets out of the 8.