An Attitude of Gratitude

I’ll admit it.

I can be a serious ingrate, and it is so hypocritical.

How many times have I told my kids to say “thank-you”? How many times do they have to be reminded anyways?

And yet how many times do I catch myself sweating the small stuff, and ignoring the blessings around me?

It is so easy to get caught up in the milieu of our daily lives that we  forget how good we really have it.

When is the last time you sat in 110 degree heat, in the sand, in a faraway country, never really relaxing because you never knew if and when someone was going to take a shot at you or send a mortar round your way?

Probably wasn’t something you did over the weekend.

Yet thousands of men and women over the last decade and more have been there, done that – for you and me.

On Veterans day and every day we should be grateful. This has nothing to do with politics, and everything to do with basic decency, honor and respect.

We take it for granted. Families separated by distance and sometimes death. Dads and moms who leave children behind to serve in the name of our country. Husbands and wives who don’t see each other for months at a time, and sometimes never again.

Did you ever consider the impact on a family whose mom gets called overseas, followed by dad, leaving their 18th month old child with grandma? My heart aches when I don’t see my family for a few days, yet children pass milestones and birthdays, and all mom and dad can do is watch from a distance and feel the loneliness.

Next week my oldest son Timothy is graduating from Ranger School down at Fort Benning, Georgia. He actually lived there for 3 years of his life when I was stationed there, and this is the first time Nancy and I will be back since then. Tim is not a dumb kid. He is married, has a degree in criminal justice, and served as a Vermont State Trooper.

What drives men like Tim to give up relative stability, be away from his wife for months at a time and put himself in harms way?

I don’t pretend to know, but I am grateful they do.

So here’s my challenge to you today.

Be grateful, and then put some action behind that gratitude.

Maybe on Veterans Day it is as simple as saying thank-you, or paying for the Dunkins for the man or woman in uniform ahead of you in line. I think that is something I should start doing everyday, not just November 11th.

Don’t just let this day pass you by as another day off, let’s make something good happen today.

Let’s give someone else a reason to be thankful – promise?

Thank-You.

Coach Dean

Speaking of gratitude and Thanksgiving…

Our schedule for the week of November 25th is as follows:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday – Full Schedule

Thursday, Friday – OFF

Saturday – World Famous “Pies Off The Thighs” post-Thanksgiving training gala. 8:00am @ Get Fit NH Concord – Be There!

It’s Time To Get Your Jingle On!

Registration is now open for the annual Jingle Bell Run/Walk, and as always it is a can’t miss event! You will want to get your registration in my November 21st to receive a T-Shirt, so go make it happen right now – yes, you!

Get Fit NH has been the #1 fundraising team 2 years in a row, so let’s keep it up!

Chosen as one of the Most Incredible Themed Races, Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis is a fun and festive way to kick off your holidays by helping others!

Wear a holiday themed costume. Tie jingle bells to your shoelaces. Raise funds to fight arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. Run or walk a 5 kilometer route with your team members and celebrate the season by giving.

Take a look at some pictures of all the fun we had last year, then head on over and register for the Get Fit NH team.

2013 Jingle Bell Run/Walk – Concord, NH
Saturday December 14, 2013
Rundlett Middle School
Registration/Check in at 9:00am
Race Starts at 10:00am

Now THAT Was Fun!

First off all let me say how proud I am of everyone who came out this morning and participated in the 2013 SkiErg World Sprints. It takes a lot of guts, willpower and determination to step up, grab those handles, and go for it. For those of you who participated for the first time, a special kudos goes out to you – you did it – 1000 meters!

It was great to see some new faces in the training facility this morning as well. Adam and Deb brought a cheering section and Sharon brought her whole family and more!

We will be compiling the numbers and sending them off to Concept2 by Monday morning. Do you realize you now hold a world ranking? Putting yourself out there is huge, and you will only be better and get better because of it. As soon as Concept2 aggregates the data from around the world we will let you know, and you will be able to see how we did.

The other cool thing about participating this morning is that now you have an official ranking and score for the SkiErg Category in the Get Fit NH Heptathlon. The leaderboard has changed dramatically, and many of you have earned medal status, so make sure you check out the leader board on Monday.

To the Super 36 – Kathy, Anne, Gretchen, Cristy, Nancy, Sarah, Sharon, Susan, Casey, Nadine, Maria, Terri, Mary, Janine, Leslie, Kim, Laura, Kim, Diana, Deborah, Karl, Brian, Scott, Adam, Rick, Tom, John, Scott, Bob, Eric, Michael, Chris, Oliver, Collin, Andrew, David – Congratulations for Making It Happen!

Eat Your Way Right Habit 3: Eat Your Vegetables!

Do you hear that tone, like it was coming from mom?

Unfortunately way too many of us have memories of soggy green beans and, well come to think of it that’s all I really remember. Some sort of soggy vegetable from a can that tasted awful. Many of us are still hanging on to those nasty memories as an excuse to not eat vegetables to this day. Cut it out!

Now I am not blaming mom, because in those days, particularly in cold states like NH, most veggies seemed to come from a can. There wasn’t the plethora of fresh options, most people didn’t have a garden, and farmers markets were nowhere in sight.

We have no such excuses.

In fact even when fresh isn’t available frozen vegetables are extremely high quality, inexpensive and can taste really, really good.  Last night for dinner Nancy made a favorite, and it is super easy. A bag of frozen mixed veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and carrots), a little salt, pepper and olive oil. Mix it all together and roast in a 350 oven for 45 minutes to an hour. The vegetables natural sugars start to caramelize – delicious!

Vegetables and Your Health

“Eating higher levels of veggies and fruits are associated with a lower incidence of:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Colon, prostate, cervical, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, thyroid, and breast cancer
• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Type 2 diabetes
• Obesity
• Stroke
• Osteoporosis
• and a lot more that aren’t on this list…” – Dr. John Berardi
  

There is no magic pill, potion, or lotion that is going to do all that, PLUS you get to try an amazing variety of incredible tastes from all over the world – right from your very own kitchen!

Did You Know? Vegetables (and fruits) provide an alkaline load to the blood. Both proteins and grains present acid loads. Too much acid can cause loss of bone strength and muscle mass – not cool. Osteoporosis is not just about calcium. Stay balanced by getting enough veggies.

The Habit

Our goal in week 3 is to get at least 2 servings of vegetables every time we eat. 1 counts, but at least 2 is way gooder! 🙂

What’s a serving?

• 1/2 cup raw chopped veggies
• 1 cup raw leafy vegetables

Here’s are some other (non-measuring cup) examples:

• 5 broccoli florets
• 10 baby carrots
• 1 tomato
• 4 slices of onion
• 1 cup of leafy greens (spring mix)
• 15 cherry tomatoes
• 0.5 bell pepper
• 1 cup of spinach

“But” you whine “I don’t like any of those!”

Lucky for you there are hundreds of vegetables in this great big wide world. Check out this list.

A Big Bonus

And there is even more good news.

Filling up on those cancer fighting, free radical busting, vitamin and fiber packed veggies help you stay full longer.

Check this cool PN knowledge bomb out:

Did you catch that?

Eating high calorie foods actually makes you hungrier, sooner. And what do you grab? More high calorie foods. Getting those veggies in helps stop the cravings and the binges. Win-Win!

How to keep your score chart in week 3

Every time you eat a meal that contains a veggie, you get your “x” for Habit 3. Couldn’t be much easier than that.

Let us know if you have any questions, then keep on Making It Happen!

Low Testosterone and What You Can Do About It

Face it guys – We aren’t getting any younger. There are some new realities. We don’t bounce quite as high as we used to and we don’t bounce back quite as fast. But that’s ok. I wouldn’t want to go back and be twenty again. I went through too much to make it to 47, I have no interest in reliving all that.

What I do have an interest in is being as productive as I can be for as long as possible. Age is reality – so what? I want to be one of those old guys that is still lifting weights and climbing mountains and living life. Weekend warrior? No thanks. Why waste 5 perfectly good days a week?

There are some things you have to do to have a better shot at aging well. Vigorous exercise and good nutrition being primary. And while we hear about hormone health for the ladies quite a bit, we guys don’t really like to talk about these things.

Me? Low “T”? Inconceivable!

Or not.

On Tuesday November 19th, Dr. Taylor Hill of will be talking about “Low Testosterone and What You Can Do About It”.

Read what Dr. Hill has to say:

“Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. It generally peaks by age 30 and then slowly declines over the course of a man’s life, but more and more men today are finding that their testosterone levels are dropping prematurely. This can cause a wide variety of symptoms including sexual problems, depression, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, and more.

Seeing a doctor is important to rule out other potential causes for these problems, but did you know there are things you can do in your daily life to help maintain or improve testosterone levels?”

I don’t know about you, but I am interested in finding out more about what can be done without resorting to Hormone Replacement Therapy, such as injections. The challenge with taking that path is once you start you can never stop, as your body shuts down its own production. Dr. Hill will talk about natural approaches to achieving healthy “T” levels, so men, let’s be men and get out here on the 19th.

Low Testosterone and What You Can Do About It

Date: Tuesday November 19th, 2013
Time: 7:00pm to 8:30am
Place: Get Fit NH Concord
Cost: An hour and a half of your time

Eat Your Way Right Habit 2: Eat Your Protein

This week we are going to focus on my favorite food subject – protein!

Habit 2: Did I eat protein every time I ate today? Did I eat a “FULL PROTEIN” at least 2 out of every 3 times I ate?

Adequate protein is crucial to giving your body what it needs to manufacture enzymes, hormones and antibodies. Protein is needed to replace worn out cells and build new cells. You can’t be your best without enough protein.

The most efficient way to get our protein is to eat it from animal sources. They have the most protein per calorie and contain all the essential and non-essential amino acids that your body needs. We call these FULL proteins, because they are well, FULL of protein.

PARTIAL proteins have less protein and either more carbohydrates and/or fat, and usually don’t have the essential and non-essential amino acids. There is a handy chart based off your shopping lists with servings sizes and amounts of protein at the bottom of this page.

I mentioned animal sources as having “The most protein per calorie”.  Here’s what I mean.

If you look at the listed protein below you will see both FULL and PARTIAL protein sources. Let’s break down what it would take to get ~ 24 grams of protein from each one of those, as well as the rest of the calorie breakdown.

Let’s start with an animal (FULL) protein – Chicken breast with the skin not eaten.

• Calories: 128
• Fat: 2.76g (25 calories)
• Carbs: 0g
• Protein: 23.99g (96 calories)

As most of the calories come from protein we would classify this as a FULL protein.

How about if I want to get that same 24 grams of protein from a PARTIAL protein, like almonds?

• Calories: 653
• Fat: 57.15g (518 calories)
• Carbs: 22.29g (89 calories)
• Protein: 24g (96 calories)

Do you see the challenge? You are eating nearly 4.5 times the calories to get the same amount of protein. (Almost a cup of almonds). Almonds are primarily fat, with some protein, thus a PARTIAL protein.

Let’s take a look at another popular PARTIAL protein – Hummus.

• Calories: 873
• Fat: 42.40 (382 calories)
• Carbs: 99.33 (397 calories)
• Protein: 24 (96 calories)

By the way, that is a whopping 2 cups of Hummus to get that 24 grams of protein. The combination of carbohydrate in garbanzo beans and the oil used to make hummus put this squarely in the PARTIAL protein arena, at a very high calorie cost.

One more example, using the “holy grail” of grains/seeds – Quinoa. This psuedocereal is rightly valued as being one of a very few non-animal food that is a complete protein, in that it has all the essential amino acids. That being said you still need to consume large quantities to get enough protein from Quinoa alone; it is better thought of as a carbohydrate. Here’s what I mean.

• Calories (1 cup): 625
• Fat: 10g (90 calories)
• Carbohydrate: 109g (436 calories)
• Protein: 24g (96 calories)

So the take home here is that while PARTIAL PROTEINS can be PART of your plan, they should not be used to make up most of your protein needs.

For challenge purposes you want to stick with FULL protein sources most of the time (2 out of every 3 times we eat). For most of us that will mean we eat PARTIAL proteins as a main source no more than once per day.

How Much Protein?

Great question. Ladies are going to want to get a minimum of between 20 and 30 grams every time they eat, and men 30-45. If you eat more frequent meals a day (say 5) choose the lower end per meal, if you eat less frequently (3) eat the higher end of the spectrum. So on the low end that is between 90 and 100 grams for women and 120 to 150 for men, per day.

I can hear the screams and wails already? THAT much protein? 🙂

Well is it really that much?

Let’s look at what a women eating 3 times per day would have to consume to get between 90 and 100 grams per day.

• Breakfast: 6 oz. greek yogurt with 1 oz of walnuts stirred in – 22 grams
• Lunch: 4 oz. of chicken breast (over a nice spinach salad with some strawberries maybe?) with an ounce of almonds – 38 grams
• Dinner: 4 oz. of sirloin steak – 35 grams

That’s 94 grams of protein without hardly trying. You are also getting some healthy fats at the same time and the calories are very efficient (~817)

You can do this! Don’t forget to visit the Private Facebook Group if you have questions.

Protein Sources

Here are example of both full and partial proteins, with sources taken directly from your shopping lists, which can be found on the EYWR Resource Page

Full Proteins

Lean Beef, Bison: 3 oz cooked = 22-27 grams protein
Extra Lean Ground
Flank Steak
Lean Tenderloin
Top Sirloin

Low Fat Cheese: 1 ounce = 4-7 grams protein
American
Cottage
Feta
Goat cheese
Mozarella
Swiss

Whole Eggs: 2 Large = 12 grams protein

Fish: 3 ounces cooked = 21-26 grams protein
Cod
Halibut
Salmon, canned and fresh
Mackerel
Tilapia
Tuna

Lamb: 3 ounces cooked = 22-27 grams protein

Milk & Yogurt: 1 cup = 8-24 grams protein
Goat’s Milk
Yogurt, plain
Greek Yogurt, plain

Pork: 3 Ounces cooked = 22-27 grams protein
Pork Loin
Pork Chops
Low Sodium Ham

Poultry: 3 ounces cooked = 21-26 grams protein
Chicken Breast, ground, tenderloins
Turkey Breast, ground, tenderloins

Shellfish: 3 ounces cooked = 21-26 grams protein
Clams
Crab
Lobster
Scallops
Shrimp

Whey protein powder: 1 scoop = 21-24 grams protein

Partial Proteins

Beans & Legumes. Most beans have about 7-10 grams of protein in 1/2 cup cooked
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans
Kidney
Lentils
Lima Beans
Miso
Pinto Beans
White Beans

Nuts and Seeds
Almonds: 1/4 cup = 6 grams protein
Brazil Nuts: 1/4 cup = 5 grams protein
Flax Seeds: 2 tablespoons = 3 grams protein
Hazelnuts: 1/4 cup = 4 grams protein
Macadamia Nuts: 1/4 cup = 3 grams protein
Pecans: 1/4 cup = 3 grams protein
Pumpkin Seeds: 1/4 cup = 8 grams protein
Sesame Seeds: 1/4 cup = 6 grams of protein
Sunflower Seeds: 1/4 cup = 6 grams of protein
Walnuts: 1/4 cup = 4 grams protein

Dean Carlson is a Level 1 Certified Nutrition Coach with Precision Nutrition. To read more about the health benefits of adequate protein, please read “All About Protein” on the PN Site.

Favorites Fall Foods w/ Coach Nancy

KJ showing us some world class pouting!

“I’m pouting…… I can’t eat what I want too.”

“Everything is bound to taste like cardboard.”

“I’m going to get bored.”

“Its Fall, and I can’t have my favorite foods”.

Stop your whining already…… Eat Your Way RIGHT through the Holidays doesn’t mean you can’t Eat Your Way RIGHT Through the Holidays without delicious looking and  great tasting foods!

Explore with Coach Nancy how wonderful Fall foods can be and still be RIGHT for you! Recipes will be given to everyone who makes it out. In fact please bring your support staff. Support staff includes anyone who eats with you or near you, or even watches you eat.

Eat Your Way RIGHT (with fantastic FALL foods) through the holidays.

Favorite Fall Foods w/ Coach Nancy

Date: Tuesday November 12, 2013
Time: 6:45pm to 8:00pm
Place: Get Fit NH Concord

Mastery & Habit. What’s The Connection?

Today is the official start of “Eat Your Way Right Through The Holidays 2013”, and we are excited to get things rolling!

As you know EYWR is a habit based challenge.

The Free Dictionary defines “habit” this way:

a. A recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.
b. An established disposition of the mind or character.

The first part of the definition tells you how the pattern of behavior is established – through frequent repetition.

The second part of the definition describes the result of this frequent repetition, and this is the good part – you become the habit, it is part of who you are.

It’s how you think, feel and act.

Look at it this way. When you go to a party are your friends more surprised when you make supportive choices or when you don’t make supportive choices?

You know what I mean. People actually seem shocked that I would have a piece of dessert when I am out, because for me that is out of character. Believe me it was not always this way. But after I did it once and survived it got easier and easier. I was creating new patterns of behavior that now are my new norm, and people notice when my behavior is different than usual.

That’s what EYWR is all about. Repeating good choices over and over again until they become part of who we are. That’s when this whole “eating healthy” thing actually gets easy.

And that’s what brings us to Mastery.

I think it’s safe to say we all appreciate people who are really good at doing something.

In the arena of sport perhaps watching Phil Mickelson get his approach shot within 5 feet from an impossible lie.

Or maybe it’s listening to Yo Yo Ma play the cello like he was born with it in his hands.

We watch in amazement as the Discovery Channel shows us a surgeon repairing delicate nerve fibers.

These people have mastered their craft, and while we can be amazed, we don’t have to think mastery is unachievable in our own lives.

These skilled practitioners didn’t wake up one day being great at what they do.

They overshot the green, they missed a note, and the surgeon practiced on dead people for crying out loud.

Mastery over any subject takes dedication, perseverance, patience and time. It’s hard, no two ways about it.

But it can be done.

Over the next 8 weeks you can start, or build on, your journey toward mastering your nutrition, for life.

It starts today.

Take action, don’t settle, work hard, be your best.

I look forward to seeing you Make It Happen!

Coach Dean

Eat Your Way Right Kickoff Video

Hey all, hope you are knocking it out of the park today, just like the Sox are going to be doing tonight!

I know all of you were not able to attend our Eat Your Way Right kickoff meetings last night, so I recorded a short video that will give you an overview of the highlights and get you pointed in the right direction.

You will also want to make sure you head on over to the Resource Page to download everything you need to get started.

It’s going to be an incredible 8 weeks!

Ahh……

I’ve heard it so many times, “After training I need to put lotion on my hands because of the pull-ups.” Or maybe  it’s after deadlifting or heavy farmers walks.

Well Diane B. from the 8:30 ladies in Concord has heard your cries for help, and she has just what you need.

Diane is the creator of Ahh…Scentials soaps, lotions and lip balms. Think some Lemongrass Sage, or maybe Midnight Pomegranate might be just what those hands need?

I’m all about knowing what is in the products I use. I’m even more in when I can say “I know who makes this and I trust her.”  That is how I feel about Ahh…Scentials. Diane makes all her products by hand, and in small batches so they are the purest and freshest they can be.

They not only smell great, but even more important are the ingredients in the products. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, you need to take care of it.

Once you read how passionate Diane is about her products I know you will want to give them a try – Coach Nancy

“I’ve  I started Ahh…Scentials because I love using high quality bath and beauty products. A few years ago I would have never have guessed that I would ever be the one making them. Back then, I purchased soaps and lotions based on how they felt, smelled, looked or by the brand name. I was unaware about the ingredients and how they can affect your body.

 Over time I decided to learn how to make something more natural, better for my family and myself. That is why I started to make my own bath and body products.

 I have four types of soaps; Three Butter (triple action of Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Mango Butter), Goat Milk,  and Oatmeal and Honey, all of which are beneficial to your skin.

 My lotions are handcrafted with an amazing combination of Aloe Vera and moisturizing Shea Butter. Shea Butter is thought to aid dry skin and Aloe has long been considered to be a premier product for moisturizing and healing the skin.

 My lip balms are made of skin loving butters, oils and beeswax along with other natural ingredients. You may choose to have it natural or flavored with lip safe ingredients.

 All of my products are available unscented or you can choose a skin safe fragrance, essential oil, or a blend such as coconut and lime.

 All of my products are PARABEN-FREE.  Parabens are synthetic preservatives suspected to cause problems such as skin aging and certain types of cancer.

 Samples are available at both the Concord and Epsom Get Fit NH locations.

 Pamper Yourself!!” – Diane Bottcher

You can get all the details from Diane or pick up the brochures. Check it out for yourself. Sample the lotions. You know you want to after doing pull-ups!