All Star Supplements: Alpha Lipoic Acid

Most people use food as a comfort once in a while. When this becomes habit or when people get a rush from a particular food or they use it as emotional padding, that's when it becomes a problem...even an addiction. It's not just lack of willpower or emotional anxiousness, it's a physical addiction.

I am a firm believer that the body is wise and at times it will crave what it needs. But this healthy craving can be satisfied by a small amount of the food. If the craving is non-stop and causes bingeing and your hands scooping at the bottom of a cookie box, then yes, there is a problem.

So what's the cure? What's the magical fix? Well, there's no magical fix, but there are supplements that can help to end the vicious cycle of sugar cravings.

Changes in diet will help of course, but when your body is still on that sugar pendulum, it can be a tooth and nail battle to control cravings, even if your intentions are the best, your will power is pretty good, and you've educated yourself on the topic. One supplement I find is extremely effective in stopping the cycle is Alpha Lipoic Acid.

In addition to balancing sugar, alpha lipoic acid has a myriad of other beneficial properties. "Alpha Lipoic Acid, the universal antioxidant, recycles other antioxidants in the body and scavenges more types of free radicals than any other known antioxidant. It is also anti-aging and anti-inflammatory for the skin" (James 162). Because of its potency, it has also proven to help prevent sunburn. I can personally vouch for that one.

ALA is a supplement that is worth taking some time to research if you have blood sugar issues and you're looking for an alternative remedy.


Citation
James, Kat. The Truth About Beauty. New York, NY: Beyond Words, 2007.

Everyone Needs a Kick in the Pants!

Accountability is priceless. It's easy to call off on yourself, but when you have someone expecting you or counting on you, you're more likely to stick to your guns.
When I was taking my cycling certification we did this visualization game in three parts. The first part was to cycle as hard as you could and to do it for yourself. The second part was hard cycling against someone you didn't like or a bully. The third, was to cycle for a friend for inspiration or help. Guess which scenario produced the greatest results? The third one!

This is why a trainer (or very dedicated work out buddy) can help keep you on track. You know that if you cancel on a trainer, there will be hell to pay next time. Also, a trainer helps you set goals. I talk about motivational triggers in a past blog which you can access here.
Also, did you know that trainers train each other? It's true! We are not super human with or paragons of perfect nutrition and exercise (at least I'm not:) We keep each other in check. In fact a very special person in my life taught me how important it is to take care of each other (I'm talk about you Ed). My trainer trains me and I do body rolling with him. We keep each other in check and teach each other.

Everybody needs a kick in the pants! If you've tried to stick to the plan and have not found sucess or if your workout buddy cancels everytime there's something good on tv, consider doing a bootcamp or hiring one on one personal training. Look for one that will inspire and has a passion to help you reach your highest goals.

xoxo
Your Trainer,
Erin Is Awesome

Lose the Stress, Lose the Weight

^-^

The newest research has demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that active relaxation triggers better blood flow to your organs, improving digestion and immune function, and thus, weight loss!

Stillness of the mind is one of the core values of yoga. When the mind is still thoughts are clearer, emotions are balanced, and living in the moment is possible. As an English teacher, my favorite themes to cover were transcendentalism and carpe diem. A great yogi once said that if one can live in the present then one can experience true happiness. (Maybe my winding career path is starting to make sense?)

I read this book that has really spoken to me. It is called, "The Yoga Body Diet." What really caught my attention was that the book addressed the mind, body, and spirit as a whole and preached that combining a stress-free diet along with stress relieving exercise that elongates the muscles, oxygenates the body, and calms the mind is one of the most effective paths to weight-loss. Imagine a fitness theory that treats the body as a whole! Hey, that's what I do!

The book has you figure out your Dosha, which is pretty much your character profile. You may have characteristics of other doshas, but one is dominant. There is Vata, Kapha, and Pitta (I'm a Pitta). Special diet recommendations and yogs poses are provided that are meant to help you achieve maximum health and mental clarity for your dosha type.

The book also offers tips to stimulate digestion and detoxification such as sipping hot water throughout the day to cleanse, mindful eating to bring mental peace, and breathing techniques such as alternate nostril breathing to calm the nerves. The book also provides a website, so you can figure out your dosha right now! (Just in case you're as excited as I am:)



So the main message is this- Don't Stress, Give yourself time to chill, and choose a fitness program that adresses not only a scale and calorie counting. Choose a fitness routine that's well-rounded for the mind, body, and spirit.

No Pain, All Gain!: Ways to Naturally Ease Muscle Soreness

Having been in full contact sports most of my life, I've picked up a couple of tricks and tips for alleviating the soreness after a kick-ass bout or a side thrust kick to the ribs. I’ve had bruises so big they deserved their own zip code and I’ve been so sore after judo flips and crashing to the ground after a good foot sweep that I walked like Frankenstein. So, to my readers with a gluttonous need for intense exercise, I say with complete sincerity that I KNOW YOUR PAIN!

Below are a couple of tricks I picked up in the hood;)

Epsom Salts and Hydrogen Peroxide Bath: This combination is effective for a couple of reasons. Epsom salts help with bruises, strains, sprains and are an excellent aid in relaxing the whole body after intense exercise or a stressful day. The salts also pull toxic fluids out of the body, so after soaking in Epsom salts, be sure to drink plenty of water to rehydrate. I recommend adding 2-3 cups per soak and stay in the water for at least 15 minutes. I like to read a magazine or listen to relaxing music to take my mind off of things and unwind.
After adding the Epsom salts to the water, add either 4 pints of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide (H202) or 1 cup of 35% food grade H202 as well. (Note: 35% H202 is very potent and can burn the skin if touched undiluted. Use this grade with caution).

According to www.massagetherapy.com, “When hydrogen peroxide is added to bathwater, the extra molecule of oxygen is released. The famous healing waters of Lourdes, in France, contain concentrations of hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide baths often leave the body feeling alert and revitalized, like spending a day in the fresh country air. This gentle bath is antibacterial, antiviral and cleansing to the emotional and energetic bodies.”
This method oxygenates the blood, cleanses, and leaves your skin feeling silky soft. You can increase the oxygenation by taking deep belly breaths as you enjoy your soak. Also, it is recommended to have the water HOT when you soak, but I’ve had plenty of success having the water comfortably warm. Perhaps you’ll notice from the oxygenation that your skin tone will be much more even after taking this special bath.

So adding these two together = BLISS and REJUVENATION!

I recommend also dry brushing your skin before hopping in the tub. Doing so beforehand opens up your pores and jump starts cleansing, helps to break up fatty fibers, and stimulates circulation and the lymphatic system. You can read about how to dry brush in my blog from July, http://mindbodyspiritwell-roundedfitness.blogspot.com/2010/07/3-simple-things-you-can-do-every.html



Try this therapy after your next cardio kickboxing, boot camp, derby practice, or stressful day and see how you feel. If you want to jump in the air and click your heels, you can send me a thank you;)

Raw-volution!!

Because everyone requested so nicely…..

Here are some raw recipes! My favorite is the Popeye Soup! I had it tonight for dinner. Enjoy and Be Healthy!

Popeye Soup
1 avocado
1 cup water or vegetable broth
2 cucumbers, unwaxed
1 cup of fresh raw spinach
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic
1/3 red bell pepper
Himalayan Crystal Salt or Sea Salt
Middle Eastern Spices (I like to add 1/2- 1tsp of Garam Masala,
1/2-1tspTurmeric, and 1tspCurry)
Fresh lime juice, to taste

In a blender, add avocado and half the water or broth and puree, then add the rest of
the veggies one at a time and blend to your desired thickness. Once all the veggies are blended,
add the spices in to taste. After all the spices are added, add the lime juice to taste. You can serve this soup cold or slightly warmed (to keep it raw and alkalizing don't heat it past 118F).
Yummy and great if you're doing a liquid cleanse.

Broccoli/Cauliflower Soup

1-2 cups broccoli, chopped
1-2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 cup cucumber juice or veggie broth
1/2 cup soaked almonds (raw)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp. lemon or lime juice
1 Tbsp. Braggs liquid aminos
1/2 tsp. sea salt

In a food processor or blender, combine the almonds with the cucumber juice or brother and the garlic. Blend well. With machine still running, ad the broccoli and cauliflower and blend until smooth.
Finally, blend in a seasonings and lemon or lime juice, Bragg Amino, and salt. Add more brother or water to desired consistency.
Variation: Use avocado instead of the almonds and use this recipe for a salad dressing;)

Chunky Vegetable Soup

2 1/2 cups fresh carrot juice
1 avocado
6-8 celery stalks 2 carrots
1 summer Squash
Small bunch of arugula
Spice options: parsley, basil, or coriander

For broth, blend carrot juice, avocado, and 3-4 celery stalks. Grate squash, carrots, and remaining celery, adding finely chopped arugula and other fresh green spices last. Serve in bowl or cup, decorate with fresh herbs. Yum:)

Below I've also listed some cleansing juices and labeled their main property. Just juice in your juicer and drink up! ^-^

Skin Cleanse

4oz potato
4oz celery
3-6oz carrot
2oz water crest

Basic Cleansing Green Drink

4 cups alfalfa and or other sprouts
4 cups sunflower and buckwheat greens
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup sweet red peppers
1/4 cup parsley
1 cup cucumber
Add 1 bunch of wheat grass (about 3/4 inch thick), if desired

Blood Builder
8oz celery
3oz cucumber
2oz parsley
3oz spinach

High Vitamin C and E Drink

6oz spinach
2oz lettuce
2oz watercress
4oz carrots
2oz green peppers

Post Holiday Sicknss-Tips on how to Detox

Detoxing is necessary for health, recharging the cells, and of course weight-loss. It is very common to have "Post Holiday Fatigue" or "Post Holiday Sickness." You may have noticed people around you sniffling or coughing and perhaps packing on a few (this time of year is when gyms typically get 1/3 of their annual enrollment).

So, I have a few tips of how to detox.

Ease into it:
Most people think of a detox as an extreme liquid diet with headaches, nausea, and frequent trips to the bathroom....and it can be, BUT it doesn't have to be. Detoxing can be gentle and gradual, it doesn't have to be a flush. Sure, after you've adapted some detoxifying habits and adjusted, a short flush (2 days or so) can really give you a boost, but if you're used to eating out all the time, frozen meals, and tons of meat, bread, sugar, and dairy, give your body a chance to adapt to your new found health habits.
Some good places to start: drinking water all day and drinking 32oz as soon as you wake up (this stimulates metabolism and gets your detox systems up and running), cleanse the colon by drinking 2tsp of psyllium husks in water in the morning and evening, eat two big salads a day (skip the heavy dressing and go for vinaigrette or better yet, make your own with fresh chopped garlic, sea salt, balsamic vinegar, and organic extra virgin olive oil yum:), take a quality multivitamin everyday, replace sugar and artificial sweeteners with Stevia.

Detoxing is not only for your body:
The objective of detoxing is to gain health, right? Well, you can live on vegetables, drink gallons of water, but if you let yourself get completely stressed and surround yourself with energy vampires, you'll never reach optimum health. Cleanse your environment, clean out the clutter from your closet, journal a few times a week, and take time for yourself. Engage in activities that allow you to be creative and relaxed. Take a walk to clear your head. The list goes on....

Try out a few of these tips for a week and see how you feel. Also, for when you feel like you're ready to progress to a full flush, I'll be posting some raw recipes and guidelines in my next blog.

New Year's Commitment

Yep, it's cliché, but hey, I'm in fitness. The New Year is here and this is the time when people are rushing to gyms and signing up for 1 or 2 year memberships. I see it every year. The first couple weeks of the New Year are very busy. Then, come February or even March, the crowd thins out- classes go from barely being able to lift a weight without whacking someone in the head to cozy, then to spacious.

It's curious, isn't it? Everyone knows that exercise makes you feel good, help you to trim down and improve overall health and most people have accepted that diet can make or break your fitness plan. The basics are pretty simple. Exercise daily, eat lots of green vegetables, drink plenty of water, and repeat. Life gets in the way though. Sometimes we are rushing around and we cannot make it to the gym. Other times we forget our lunch and we shamefully pull in to a fast food joint or other quick fix.

Life is imperfect, that's for sure. Things don't always go as planned. What it comes down to though....there are excuses and then there are RESULTS.

As a former high school teacher and a fitness instructor, I have heard my fair share of excuses. Most of the excuses were by all means completely justified..."I got caught in traffic, can't make it tonight," "I'm feeling sick," and so forth. Life happens of course, but what happens when you're going down a path and you come up to a hurdle? Jump over it! Crawl under it! Blow it up with a bazooka!! (metaphorically speaking eh hem)
Do what you have to deal with your hurdle, then hop back to it.
To help you with your goals, I am offering some great deals on bootcamps and body rolling classes. Taken together, these classes will absolutely transform your body. I say this without reservation. With the bootcamps I also give nutritional advice and detox diet plans to follow.
So, if you have weight-loss or fitness goals, make the commitment. There is no better time than NOW so let’s do it! Happy New Year!