Are You A Sugar Addict?

Tired all the time? Grumpy and can’t shake the blahs? Do you have trouble losing weight? Do you walk around in a fog? What about digestive issues? Constantly battling a stuffy nose?

Major health issues like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and auto-immune diseases are dramatic examples of how sugar can wreak havoc in your life. There are less dramatic ways sugar affects our bodies before we experience major problems.

Addictions come in different forms.

• The Energy Shark feels chronically tired and needs hits of sugar and caffeine.
• The Feed-Me-Now type have exhausted their adrenal glands.
• An overgrowth of yeast in the body leads the Sneak-Around-for-Sugar addict hiding to get another hit of sugar.
• And the Depressed & Craving Carbs type desire for sweets is linked to hormonal shifts.

What type of addict are you?

Do you often feel tired and achy? Do you need coffee to get going in the morning? Does your energy fade by mid-afternoon? Do you get frequent headaches?

You may be an Energy Shark.

Do you find you are often thirsty and need to use the restroom? Do you get recurrent sore throats and swollen glands? Do you sometimes get dizzy when you stand up? Is life a crisis for you?

You may be a Feed-Me-Now type.

Do you have chronic nasal congestion? Do you have irritable bowels? Have you been clinically treated for acne? Do you clear your throat a lot? Often an overgrowth of yeast internally will cause the sugar cravings like those who are

The Sneak-Around-for-Sugar addicts.

Chronically depressed, fatigued, battling insomnia and a loss of libido might have you classified as a Depressed & Craving Carb addict. Your sugar cravings are caused by fluctuating hormones.

No matter what the type you can fight your way out of your sugar addiction. Nutrition is the key to locking up the addict inside you.

1. Choose high-protein foods such as meat, eggs, and seafood and foods that score low on the glycemic index.
2. Eat small meals frequently during the day.
3. Eliminate “energy drinks” loaded with sugar and caffeine.
4. Exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day, outside if possible.
5. Get seven to nine hours of sleep a night
6. Supplement your diet with a quality vitamin.
7. Take a fish oil supplement.

Each addiction has its own issues but don’t let your addiction control you. Furthermore don’t let the addiction you have today bring damaging diseases in your future.

To your health,

Coach Nancy

Reference – Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of Beat Sugar Addiction Now!

The Healthy Kitchen

It all starts here. Nutrition is not half the battle, it is the battle! What we eat is the single most important factor when it comes to how we look and feel. With today’s busy lifestyles, it is more important than ever that we learn to make the best choices to support our healthy goals.

The choices we make when feeding our bodies have both short and long term consequences. Did you know it’s possible to eat too much food and be undernourished? Not only do we become overweight, but are also more susceptible to disease because we are not receiving the nutrients we need for optimal health. It is important to remember that the primary reason we eat is to give our body what it needs to function optimally. A growing number of studies show that Americans do not receive the nutrients they need from their dietary intake.

There are a number of reasons for this. Our crops themselves are not as nutritious as in the past, probably due to soil depletion and the overuse of fertilizers. Fast food restaurants and prepackage foods in our supermarket shelves make it all too easy to consume a large amount of calories with nearly no nutritive value. While such food choices may be fast and convenient, there is no doubt they contribute to obesity and disease.

Over-consumption of grains, particularly refined wheat (eg. white flour) and corn, has also contributed to our growing problem with obesity. Too many grains and not enough variety of vegetables in our diet leads to excess calories and nutrient deficiencies.

While fruit has many critical nutrients and should be enjoyed, it may be helpful to think of it as “nature’s candy” because of the high sugar content. Refined grains and fruit juices can also make controlling blood sugar difficult.

It does take more work to prepare healthy meals, there is no doubt about it. Doing so is a small price to pay when you consider the negative health consequences of eating poorly. Most people do not think about the future, only the here and now, but the cost is greater to fight disease than to prevent disease. Eating for optimal health is the foundation of living well.

Recently we unveiled Fitgoal. Take advantage of all it offers.

• Daily food log so you know exactly what you are feeding yourself.

• Reports so you can monitor your fitness progress after each “Test Day”

• Visuals like charts and graphs for your food intake

• Write out personal goals so you know where you want to go and how you plan on getting there

• A journaling section to list important factors that give insight into your well being.

• The ability to directly contact your trainer through Fitgoal.

We are here to help you reach your goals,

Coach Nancy

Zucchini Boats

Here’s a favorite of Anne from the 8:30 Concord class.

In keeping with the zucchini theme:

Zucchini Boats (makes 8 boats) Preheat oven to 400 degrees

4 medium (8″) zucchini
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
8 oz low-fat or non-fat cottage cheese
paprika, salt and pepper to taste

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.  Steam over steaming basket in large pot for about 10-15 minutes. 
Zucchini should be firm but able to be scooped out.  Scoop out pulp with spoon and chop, leaving a zucchini shell or boat.

Sauté onion until soft.  Add soy sauce and chopped zucchini, keep over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Put boats in baking dish and fill each zucchini boat with 1/8 of the mix.  Sprinkle paprika on top, if desired.

Bake in 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until hot.

Zucchini Pizza Disks

Deb Saks from the 5 AM Concord class sent in this great recipe to help make good use of the over population of zucchini in our gardens.

Zucchini Pizza Disks
slice 3 zucchini’s in round slices 1/4 inch thick
3 slices of Mozzarella cheese
pizza sauce

Broil zucchini rounds until they start to brown (5 or so minutes). Remove from oven and put a 1/2 tsp or so of sauce on each disk. Place a small square of cheese on each top then put back in broiler until starting to brown. These are great!

This recipe and more will be in our Get Fit NH Cookbook that is being produced as a fundraiser for Joshua, who has autism. Joshua is in need of some extra computer equipment to aid in his therapy sessions. With each recipe you send in to us, your name will be entered to win your favorite Get Fit NH Bootcamp t-shirt of sweatshirt. Lets make this a great book for a great kid.

10 Ways To Eat Fresh

1. Plant your own backyard garden or patio garden. Do you have a green thumb? Tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, herbs, lettuces, and many more veggies and fruits can be as easy to pick as going to your own backyard. Not much of a green thumb? Small patio containers will supplement your family’s dinner nicely.

2. Free Food is always wonderful. Raspberries and blueberries can be found many times while walking along your favorite trail or next to the road. Please be sure to ask the landowner first. There are many logging areas near us and before the trees take over often wild berries thrive. Along a stream we’ve often found grapes in September.

3. Visit a Farmer’s Market or Farm Stand. These farmers grow and raise everything. So if your garden didn’t do too well or if you would like a vegetable that you didn’t plant, visit a farm near you. The Farmer’s Market in Concord which operates each Saturday morning sells veggies, fruit, free range meats, eggs, honey, jams, and many other items you remember from your grandmother’s kitchen.

4. Welcome Localvores! Nothing is more local than buying New Hampshire raised meats. Miles Smith Farm in Loudon raise Scottish Highlander and Angus beef . You can visit their store to select beef that is naturally raised without hormones or antibiotics.

Please call 603 783- 5159 or visit http://www.milessmithfarm.net for more information.

5. PYO- Pick Your Own Farms are plentiful in New England. Whether it is blueberries from Lyon Berry Farm 986 Route 129, 435-7640 or apples from  Appleview Orchard. You can find many other fruits, veggies, maple syrup, and even Christmas tress at local farms. Check out this site for more information. http://www.pickyourown.org/NH.htm

6. Join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)- Milk and Honey Farm from  Canterbury have summer and winter shares of crops. They grow them and you pick them up. You can have fresh all year round and not have to get your fingers dirty. They also sell seedlings in the Spring for your garden.

7. The Seacoast is close  enough we can almost smell the salt air. Our favorite market is Durham Market Place. The drive is worth the time. They have so many varieties of seafood fresh from our shores. It’s the only place I go for fresh tuna steaks. Every Monday they host a Farmer’s Market so you can take advantage of fresh produce as well.

8. Support restaurants and food vendors that buy locally produced food. The Celery Stick Café found in The Concord Food Coop prepares foods from seasonal local produce.

9. Buy from a local specialty store or food coop. The Concord Food Coop has a full-service natural foods grocery store with an extensive organic and local produce department along with a variety of natural food, health, body, and household products. Celery Stick Café prepared foods and seasonal local produce are available at both stores.

10. COOK! Our culture has forgotten the joys of cooking.  Cooking your own food is better for you, saves money and passes a skill to your children. With a little planning cooking doesn’t have to be a chore.

Six Chicken Dinners In Under 25 Minutes

That’s what the amazing Coach Nancy demonstrated during her live “Cooking With The Carlson’s” portion of our nutrition seminar tonight.

If you think food prep takes forever and you don’t have time to cook, think again. A little patience, perseverance and practice and you’ll be cranking out tasty and creative meals in no time!

We’ve shared all the recipes below, so if you couldn’t make it tonight, you can still make chicken dinner!

Crock Pot Chicken

1 whole chicken
salt and pepper

Place chicken in crockpot, salt and pepper it. Cover and turn crock pot on low. Cook 6-8 hours. Enjoy.

Variations:
1. Place a lemon pierced with a knife in the cavity of the bird along with several sprigs of fresh parsley.
2. Vary the spices by sprinkling inside and outside the bird with Cajun spices or thyme, paprika, and sage

Kung Pao Chicken

1 pound raw chicken breast, cut into ½ inch cubes
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch of ginger, chopped
2 Tablespoon of rice wine vinegar
1 green pepper cut into 1- inch squares
1 onion cut into 1- inch squares
8-15 dried red chilies, snip off dried stem
8 ounces of sliced water chestnuts, drained
½ cup chicken broth
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
2 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
2 Tablespoon peanut oil

Marinate chicken in garlic, ginger and vinegar while preparing other ingredients, up to several hours in advance
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 Tablespoon of peanut oil over medium heat. Add chicken and marinade to wok. Stir fry until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken, add another Tablespoon of oil. Stir fry the onions, and peppers, water chestnuts, and chilies until the veggies start to brown. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, peanut sauce, mix thoroughly and serve.

Grilled Chicken

2 pounds of Chicken breast
½ cup rice wine vinegar (can use apple cider vinegar)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 sprigs of thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

Add all ingredients to a Ziploc bag. Marinate for several hours. Grill over medium high heat until done.

Chicken Tenders

1-1 ½ pounds of chicken breast cut into 1/3 inch strips
¾ cup almond meal
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon paprika

Mix all ingredients except the chicken in a ziploc bag. Add the chicken one at a time and shake to coat. Place on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 400 degrees for 7-15 minutes.

Coconut Chicken

1 pound of chicken breast
2/3 cup coconut
2 Tablespoon coconut oil
3 cloves of garlic, minced

Lay chicken in baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Mix the remaining ingredients together and cover chicken with coconut mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and broil for an additional 10 minutes.

Barbeque Chicken

2 pounds of chicken pieces
½ cup cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon celery seed
¼ hot pepper sauce
1/8  teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together except chicken. This can be done in a Ziploc bag to save on dishes. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour. Grill chicken pieces over medium high heat for 20 minutes, turn and grill for another 15-25 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.

Have A Plan?

Plan our menu for the week. Plan for our grocery shopping trip with a list. Plan my day including training. Plan for snacks. Plan for those times we spend with friends and family. Plan, plan, plan.

I am often asked questions about how to lose weight, how to firm up those trouble spots, how to I drink the correct amount of water. I know you aren’t “supposed to”, but I usually answer the question with some of my own. What are you doing now? Are you training when and how you should? What kind of training are you doing? How much are you drinking now?

Guess what? (another question to you, dear reader) All too often the answer is “I don’t know”. Sometimes they might have a general idea, but can’t really pin it down. I get answers like – I usually train four times a week, I drink lots of water, and I sweat a lot. Hmmmm…..

When I hear a response like that, I usually assign some “homework”.  I ask them to write down what they are doing now. Even if you don’t write out your meals for the week you are doing something. You have to eat. So if you don’t have a written plan, what is your unwritten plan? Discovering the present helps us lay the groundwork when changes are needed.

Saying you eat well, to you, might mean you visit a fast food restaurant once a day but not more than that. But my idea of eating well is probably not the same. Part of learning what to do is to find out what may be holding you back.

We human beings are very good at fooling ourselves. It’s the difference between a photo and a mirror.

Many of us look in the mirror and see our bodies as we want to picture them. We fool ourselves. We look in the bathroom mirror and only see from the shoulders up. What about the rest of our body? Find a picture of yourself taken from behind while sitting on a picnic table bench. Not so attractive! That’s what it took for me to stop fooling myself.

Take the time and expend the effort to plan. If you don’t currently have a plan, write down what you are doing now and start to plan. Yes it is work, but the more you do it, the easier it is.

So plan it out. Take that first picture, jot down that first meal, record that first workout.

Without action, nothing happens.

Make it Happen,

Nancy

Holiday Eating Tips

My Dad grew up working on a farm, and if you have ever heard of “farmboy” strength, you know that he was a strong dude! He used to tell me stories of hoisting a bale of hay in each hand and throwing them into the barn loft – that’s strong!

He was fast too. When I was about 15 we were doing some roofing on the big chicken house, about 20 feet up a ladder. For some stupid reason I smarted off to my mother and headed as fast as I could down the ladder. He was on me so fast I didn’t know what hit me. So much for being stronger and faster (or evidently smarter) then the old man. Ahhh, good times!

So anyway he sent this list on holiday eating tips, so having wised up a bit, I figured I would share them with you too.

Thanks Dad!

• Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a Christmas buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit.. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.

• Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

• If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

• As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

• Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

• Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

• If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

• Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

• Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards. Unless it’s been soaked in rum for a year. (My mother’s recipe)

One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Have a great holiday season!!
Merry Christmas

Fast Food Shopping at the Grocery Store

I’m late for a meeting, I’ve been teaching classes all day, the kids were acting up, and I walked out of the house unprepared for the evening ahead. Have you ever been in a situation like this before? Of course you have, but how can you change it around and end the day on a good note? What can you do?

Go hungry?
Stop at the dreaded hamburger joint on the corner?
Grab something at the gas station convenience store?
Or go grocery shopping?

I say go grocery shopping. Yes, hit the nearest food store for you dinner meal. Here’s a few ideas to grab quickly and go.

Hit the salad bar. Most store now feature a salad bar stocked with all the trimmings. As always you want to avoid items in heavy sauces and oils. Fill your container with salad greens, add your favorite veggies, throw in a few pieces of fruit, top with a sprinkling of cheese, sunflower seeds, and add a hard boiled egg or a few slices of ham and your good to go. Don’t forget a fork or you’ll be hard pressed to look good at your meeting with salad drippings all over you.

Go to the Deli. What a great way to build your own sandwich. Delicatessens are more than happy to slice 3-4 pieces of your favorite meats and cheeses. No need for bread. Just roll the cheese inside a piece of meat and eat it naked. No, you’re not naked  – the sandwich is!

Some delis also carry rotisserie chicken, They are already cooked and kept warm. Again don’t forget to pick up a utensil pack at the salad bar.

In a real rush, grab a single serving of almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds along with your favorite piece of fruit that has a peel. Fast Food Grocery Style!

When Dean and I were in New Jersey a while ago, we couldn’t find a decent restaurant to eat in that was close to the hotel so we went shopping. We stocked the small fridge in the hotel room with roast beef, swiss cheese, fruits, and nuts. It was fantastic to have the option just to run up to our room in between seminars for a light snack. It was way better than hitting the candy machine.

Don’t settle for less than the best choices for your best body!

Nancy

Success Secrets for Busy Moms

Mothers day is right around the corner, and it got me to thinking about all the moms we have had the privilege of working with over the past few years.

Without a doubt moms are the most selfless clients we have, and frankly, that’s not always a good thing. Because moms are by nature (and need) focused on everyone else, oftentimes her own physical, emotional and mental well being suffers.

A lot of great moms put aside their fitness ambitions aside because of all the chaos that goes on around them, thinking that it’s for the best. The reality is that a healthy mom is better prepared to take on all the stress that comes her way.

Every day we have moms that walk through the door and work their tails off, only to have their efforts sabotaged my the rest of the day. Here’s a few simple steps we can all use to make each day just a little healthier than the day before.

Step #1 – Eat Breakfast Every Day!

You get up, hop in the shower, get the kids ready, make sure they get something in their stomach before it’s off to daycare or school. Maybe your husband needs his shirt ironed (men are helpless!) and “forgot” to tell you the night before. Missing breakfast just becomes part of your day. This just sets you up poorly for the whole day, as you are more likely to reach for something unhealthy to fill that void in your stomach. Your blood sugar never stabilizes, you feel tired, reach for another cup of coffee and on and on it goes.

You have got to get something healthy in your stomach as early after you wake as possible if you want to achieve that dream body. Nobody expects a busy mom with a crazy schedule to get up an hour earlier to make eggs every day, but a Super Shake takes just a few minutes to make, tastes great, and gets your day started right.

Here’s a great tasting recipe that mixes in a flash and you can take with on your way out the door!

1 Cup Green Tea
1 Scoop Vanilla Ultimate Muscle Protein
1/2 Cup frozen berries (strawbewrries, raspberries, or blueberries)
1 Tbsp almonds
2 Tbsp yogurt
Additional water to suit your texture/thickness preference

Step #2 – Keep Your Training Appointment

You wouldn’t dream about missing a doctors appointment or soccer practice for the kids. If it’s on the calendar, you are going to make sure they are there – it’s just what moms do!

Mom, you need to take the same approach with your fitness. Put it on the calendar and don’t miss it! I am going to brag on our 5:00am boot camp class a little, because every woman in there is a super busy mom who doesn’t necessarily feel like getting up every day, but makes it happen because she knows it is the only time it will get done! In fact the moms in all our classes choose that time and keep that training appointment because that is her time – no excuses!

Step #3 – Don’t Make Sweets Your Solace (and lay off the booze)

Let’s face it, all too many moms are stress eaters (as are the rest of us). After another long day don’t I deserve to sit down with that bag of double stuff cookies or hot fudge sundae? No and No. Nightime is danger time for a lot of moms. The kids are off to bed and she has just had it. Half a bag later the guilt sets in, and what the heck, just finish the bag! Let me encourage you this way, that was a vicious cycle I was caught in for years, and it held me back big time! Don’t turn an occasional treat (or lapse) into an all out pig out.

The other danger zone at night is those glasses of wine. Alcohol and fat burning cannot and do not co-exist. I understand the stress release factor, but you can’t have it both ways. If you want to maximize your result potential, you are better off finding other stress release and relaxation methods in the evening. A hot bath, stretching, and foam rolling are all productive and relaxing, and enhance your fat loss efforts. And as far as the research that shows wine is full of anti-oxidants, etc. – get your full daily servings of fruit and vegetables first, and then get back to me.

Happy Mothers Day – I love you mom!

Dean