Our L.E.A.N. TEAM member spotlight this month is on Louise. She rarely misses a workout and has been coming consistently for over a year now. Here’s what she has to say about working out with the TEAM.

“I started working out with Valerie and Andi at least 2-3 times a week for the past year. It is one of the best things I have done for myself. I’ve lost 25lbs and 4inches from my hips. I have been trying to loose weight without much success for the last several years. It feels great to accomplish a goal. Not only do I look and feel better, but my blood pressure and cholesterol are lower than they have been in several years”

Actually Louise’s good HDL cholesterol has gone up 25 points while her bad LDL cholesterol has gone down by 50 and her Dr has taken her off her medication! Also, her body mass index has gone from a 26 to a 23! Congratulations Louise! Keep up the good work!

You know the drill: drink more water, eat more protein and vegetables, and load up on carbs prior to an endurance event. But what does that mean for you?

As a serious athlete or simply an individual who is adding more physical activity to your life, it is especially important to pay attention to what your body needs by way of nutrition to achieve peak performance.

The athlete’s guide to nutrition is not a one-size-fits-all approach. We are each unique in so many ways, from our ancestry and blood type to our metabolic rates and lifestyle choices, and it all contributes to what foods will and will not work for us. While there are many things to consider, there are some key elements of the athlete’s guide to nutrition that can apply to most of us. Most of us are chronically dehydrated. Water is very important to our survival, moving nutrients to all areas throughout the body. Water also flushes toxins and excess fat out of the body. It is necessary to keep blood sugar levels stable and to avoid insulin surges caused by eating refined sugar, often in the form of soft drinks and beverages cleverly marketed to us as “sports drinks.”

Caffeine is another common culprit in dehydration and blood sugar highs/lows, so it’s helpful to reduce or eliminate caffeine for optimal performance. Finding the optimal portions of carbohydrates, fat, and protein to fuel your individual body needs is key to achieving athletic performance and eating for energy. Eating a variety of nutrient dense foods is the best strategy in an athlete’s guide to nutrition. You will also ensure the body receives vitamins and minerals by increasing your caloric intake with a variety of whole foods and reducing or eliminating processed fast food.

Dark leafy greens such as kale, collards, spinach, and broccoli are full of vitamins and nutrients that are great for improving circulation, purifying the blood, and strengthening the immune system. Ironically, it is also the most missing type of food in the Standard American Diet (SAD). Whole grains are some of the best sources of nutritional support, containing high levels of fiber and B vitamins. Since the body absorbs them slowly, grains provide long-lasting energy. We get more than enough wheat, so try another grain growing in popularity–like quinoa, which contains plenty of nutrients and fiber and is a good protein source.

Speaking of protein, requirements vary dramatically for each of us. It’s important to find the best amount and type of protein for your individual dietary needs. This will vary depending on the level of activity you engage in and other lifestyle factors, so adjust accordingly. For optimal recovery, following an intense workout, it’s important to be mindful of replenishing glycogen (carbohydrates stored in muscle and liver used as energy during exercise) levels by consuming good carbohydrates and some protein post exercise.

For support in finding your optimal foods and lifestyle choices visit www.cincyhealthcoach.com or contact Phyllis McCarthy, Certified Integrative Nutrition and Health Counselor, at phyllis@cincyhealthcoach.com.

•  Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t seeing the results you want. Make a NEW list of goals and record the accomplishments you have already made. Change things up. Add a new workout class.
• Yoga L.E.A.N. is a great way to burn calories and build muscle tone. Check out one of our classes!
• Plan ahead to ensure the right foods are available at the right time. Think about breakfast, lunch, healthy snacks and an evening meal. Have some ready meals in the fridge for those emergency moments. Planning can take extra time and effort, but it will soon become a habit that will really make a difference.
• If one of the things you want to change this year is your weight, then write down your reasons for wanting to do so. Post them on the fridge next to a picture that you don’t like of yourself. Then next time you head to the fridge read the reasons and check out that photo!! ~~~~Then go do 10 push-ups .
• Try not to wear your comfy elastic band clothes around the house. Instead slip on a pair of jeans. This will help you not go for that extra snack if the pants don’t give you the extra space!! Remember, you can eat as much as you want as long as it is the RIGHT foods.
• Get prepared!! Buy a good pair of walking shoes and pull out those workout clothes. Buy the yoga mat and sign up for classes. If you fail to plan to change your lifestyle then you are planning to fail!
• Drink 8 glasses of ice water every day. Cold water speeds up your metabolism while keeping you hydrated.
• At restaurants, only eat half your meal. Ask for a “to-go” box when ordering, and place half your meal in the box.
• Eat slowly, and wait ten to fifteen minutes before taking second helpings.
• Read the label on fat-free foods carefully. Often the fat has been replaced by sugar which makes you fat!
• You’ll burn roughly 100 to 125 calories by taking 2,500 steps, about one mile. The goal during the challenge is to burn 300 extra calories and to eat roughly 200 calories less in a day. This 500 calorie deficit is equivalent to one pound of body fat per week and a healthy boost to your self esteem.
• Instead of regular sodas, drink diet drinks or water. The sugar in regular sodas turns to fat in your body
• It’s fine to build some fave foods into your healthy diet plan. Successful slimmers do it as it helps them avoid feeling deprived. Make sure you choose quality foods that you really feel like eating.
• For a great low-fat, low-sugar snack, try no-butter, low-salt popcorn. Two cups only has 60 calories!
• Throw away all the junk, the processed, and the bingeable foods now and replace them with fresh, whole foods like lots of water and veggies.
• If you eat a lot of excess calories after 8 p.m., you wear them the next morning. Put a stop to this by making sure you have a healthy dinner consisting of lean protein, veggies, and fruit.

Indoor Running Workouts 

So many of us are now moving our running workout indoors. The treadmill can be both effective and a bit boring. Changing up your routine by selecting from the machine’s workout programs can help. These programs adjust the incline and change speeds which gives you more options than hitting the QuickStart button. Changing up your running pattern will help you stay motivated and achieve different goals. Below is a brief explanation given in American Fitness Magazine to explain these options.

Fat Burn

This program eases you into an intense, fast-paced plateau and then cools you back down. Building intensity in the beginning of the workout then hitting a steady pattern focuses more on distance than intensity and challenges the body to burn more calories.

Sports Training

Shift between low intensity and high intensity exercise to maximize your cardiovascular fitness this is a great workout for those training for better performance on the soccer pitch or the next road race.

5K Run

This program offers a realistic outdoor experience with a combination of climbing up and coasting down hills.

Weight Loss

A steady increase of intensity will help keep your hear rate and calorie burn up.

Heart Rate Interval

This option is based on your current hear rate during exercise. Shifting levels of high and low intensity in a strategic arrangement helps train your heart to be stronger.

Hill

These workouts kick up intensity with varying hiking styles that are sure to provide a heart pounding, quad burning workout.

Fun day for the L.E.A.N. Team. Liz Bonis with Channel 12 News came to our Xtreme L.E.A.N. class on 6/9/09 and did a small piece on the program and us!
 
We were very proud of our L.E.A.N. Team! Carol Lumpkin, Tony and DeAnna Lipps and Shannon Short were all there to participate.
 
Way to go L.E.A.N. TEAM!

Water Aerobics may make labor easier according to some experts. These researchers have found that pregnant women that participated in water based classes where less likely to request the use of pain medication during labor. Hey it is worth a try!! Join Aqua L.E.A.N. TODAY!!

LEANTEAM@LIVE .COM