12 Days of Fitness Tips: 1st Day - STRENGTH

On the 1st Day of Fitness, Your Trainer Says to Thee  "Strength train a minimum of 3x/week this holiday season to maintain fitness levels and keep weight gain at a minimum.  Strength, not just cardio will COMPLETE your fitness solution!"  Read article- Maximize your strength training efforts

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Q: Is it okay to splurge on Thanksgiving? (Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas recipe)

Nobody gains weight from just that one Thanksgiving Day meal. We gain weight from the “holiday mentality” that continues on from Thanksgiving to New Years Day. Yet, the busiest and most stressful time of year is precisely when we must be most vigilant about putting the brakes on our calorie intake and finding the time to fit in lots of calorie-burning, stress-releasing exercise. That said, here are a few healthy makeover tips for holiday meals: modify your favorite holiday recipes so they are healthier and lighter (without compromising taste) by reducing the fat, sugar, sodium and calories.

For example, if you prepare stuffing from a box, look for a lower sodium variety, omit adding butter or margarine, and do add in lots of healthy vegetables like mushrooms, onions, garlic, celery and peppers, sautéed in a small amount of olive oil. You can also add in a touch of super-healthy walnuts and cranberries. Traditional mashed potatoes can be transformed into a delicious, heart-healthy cholesterol-lowering side dish (see below). Go for the turkey breast without the skin; don’t go overboard with the gravy; and eat desserts and drink alcohol in moderation.

This holiday season, remember to take the time to give yourself the gift of health by making a conscious effort to eat better and get in your daily calorie and stress—burning exercise!

Mashed Potatoes with Chickpeas
Serves 6
What you need:


2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup light soy milk
1⁄2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1⁄4 cup Promise Take Control Light margarine
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
Commercial gravy, optional


What you do:


Place potatoes in large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and return potatoes to pan.
Add chickpeas and mash using a potato masher. Add soy milk, chicken broth, margarine, and salt and pepper and stir. Cook an additional 2 minutes, until heated, stirring constantly. Serve warm. Top with commercial gravy if desired.


Per serving (1⁄6 of recipe, 293 grams or approximately 1 cup): Calories: 255, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Sodium: 751 mg, Carbohydrate: 46 g, Dietary Fiber: 5 g, Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7 g


Posted by Dr. Janet Bond Brill

Client of the Month - November 2012 - Alison Marshall

Why do you like Fitness Together?

Fitness Together is the complete package. The training sessions are interesting and varied but probably more importantly fun!  The individual programme means that I am going to continually improve my level of fitness.  I love food - being able to discuss food and get tips and advice on ingredients and recipes in the nutrition sessions is like being in heaven :-)

Tell us some of the results you have achieved: 

I ran my first 5K in Atlanta two weeks ago and achieved a relatively respectable time!  Next time it will be the perfect time!!

Why do you like one on one training?

I was looking for something different – I’d had enough of the large unfriendly gyms, full of grunting and groaning muscle men and women. My fitness was suffering through insecurity in my ability and a lack of motivation. The one on one training works well for me – having a trainer give you their full attention means you can achieve your absolute potential. 

Tell us about any hobbies you may have:

Keeping fit!!

What city and state are you from?

Sheffield, England

Tell us about your children and/or pets:

Chloe – 13years old and Isobel – 11 years old

Who is your significant other?

Neil – who I’ve been encouraging for months to come and join.  He’s finally succumbed to the pressure and has now had his first session.

What is your favorite exercise?

Hmmm.......there are so many it’s hard to choose one.  I’m enjoying the learning all the different exercises you can so with the TRX. 

What is your favorite healthy food?

Nuts

What is your favorite “bad” food?

Cadburys chocolate – the English variety!!

What is your profession?  How Long?

Since moving to Atlanta – 3 years ago I’ve been lucky enough to be a stay at home Mum. 

What is your favorite movie?

Dirty Dancing

How did you discover Fitness Together?

My wonderful friend Elaine introduced me to FT.  She started training with them and her enthusiasm was infectious!

The Insulin Effect of Fitness! (National Diabetes Month)

Besides Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, November is also known as National Diabetes Month. Though there are two types of diabetes, this article focuses on Type II diabetes. If you have it you're feeling the effects of decreased quality of life.  This is quite unfortunate, as it is probably the most preventable of diseases along with heart disease.  Interestingly, Type II diabetes correlates closely with heart disease.

In a world of traditional Western medicine, the medical and pharmaceutical companies are constantly on a search to find drugs to treat Type II diabetes. Interestingly, there are ways to reverse the effects of diabetes without using pills.

Before I go any further, I feel compelled to tell you that if you think you have diabetes (or have been diagnosed), you need to see a medical professional regularly.    Preferably, you would see an endocrinologist. Any way you look at it, you will most likely need medication (like Avandia, glucophage, metformin etc.). Also, I need to remind you of the role of insulin in the body, which is to allow blood sugar to be extracted into the muscle.

To truly beat diabetes, you must eat right and get physical.  As always you need to incorporate the synergistic effect of resistance training (weight lifting), cardiovascular exercise, and supportive nutrition if you want to beat diabetes (related article). Every endocrinologist I have known concurs. Here is the first reason why:

The Insulin Effect of Exercise- When you exercise (with weights and with cardiovascular training), your muscles do a very unique thing. It starts to extract blood sugar without the use of insulin. More interestingly, the body will begin to release glucose (blood sugar) from the liver to balance things out. (That's a really good thing .) Even better, when you lift weights and increase your muscle tone, your muscle will extract more blood sugar even at rest.

Studies show, that many Type II diabetics are able to decrease the amount of diabetic medication as a result of exercise (at some point you usually have to). This is because you become less insulin resistant.  You may even begin to experience fatigue because the medication is greater than the resistance of insulin, thereby bringing your blood sugar too low.  Most doctors recognize this right away and are often thrilled that their patients are making better choices and become healthier.  Think about the money you'll save medications.

There are even some reports that when caught early, diabetes can solely be treated with exercise and eating right. This can prevent you from taking med's and can possibly create physical changes (hormonal shifts) in the body that makes your insulin regulation normal again.  Don't forget that when you do the right things you will also lose the "extra" body fat which contributes to developing Type II diabetes.  However, it should be noted that being overweight is not the sole cause of Type II diabetes.  Conversely, it highly correlates to Type II diabetes because the same lifestyle choices lead to the same symptoms and illnesses.  It is for this reason that weight loss alone is not enough. 

If you or someone you know has diabetes, this is the time to take back control of your body and improve your quality of life.  Make every effort you can to fight the disease instead of letting it defeat you.  A long-term, comprehensive fitness and nutrition program is what you need.  If you don't know where to start, seeking the help of a professional fitness coach (at Fitness Together of course) is a good idea!  Your fitness and nutrition program has to evolve and be more progressive.  Quick weight loss gimmicks do not work long term.

written by:

Kelly Huggins, A-CPT

Exercise Science, B.S.

NPTI Instructor

Fitness Together - Fitness/Nutrition Coach

The Buddy Advantage: Enlist the Help of a Workout Buddy to Stay Strong, Fit this Holiday Season

There are always temptations – skipping a workout - cocktail parties and large social gatherings centered on food – can lead you down the path of weight gain, irritability and inactivity during the cold, dark winter months. To overcome these temptations and stay focused on consistently working out and eating healthy during the holidays, you may need to enlist the help of a workout buddy. A workout buddy can help keep you motivated, dedicated and encouraged as you venture through the journey of living a healthy and fit lifestyle during the holidays and beyond.

Buddy’s Bring Accountability

It’s not just about you when you work out with a buddy. It’s about being there for your partner, showing up every workout session to give your best effort, and setting a good example of being dedicated to you and your partner’s workout success. It’s a lot harder to skip your 6 a.m. workout if you know you have a workout partner waiting for you at the gym to take a class together or someone is relying on you to show up at a local trailhead for an early morning run. It’s also a lot more difficult to “phone in your workout” by just going through the motions and not giving your all when you have a workout buddy beside you who is expending their time and energy to workout with you and give their best. A buddy is an essential resource to help keep you on track, on time and on point during your workouts.

Buddy’s Bring Camaraderie

Working out with a buddy can be a fun adventure that changes with each workout. By working out side-by-side day in and day out, you naturally will begin to build a sense of community, friendship and pride from maintaining a consistent workout schedule together, accomplishing physical and mental goals together, and living by example as to what it means to be fit and healthy. Your workout buddy can quickly become more than just someone to count your push ups or hold your feet during sit ups. Your workout buddy may become a lifelong fitness teammate and friend.

Buddy’s Bring Motivation

Whether you are a competitive person in nature or not, working out with a buddy can improve your health and fitness levels beyond what you could do alone. Buddies can help push you out of your comfort zone by encouraging you to try a new adventure, they can help increase your confidence in how you look and feel about your body by motivating you to perform at levels you never thought possible, and they can celebrate with you after a strenuous workout session that leaves you sweating and feeling good about your accomplishments. 

Need a Buddy?

Do you need help finding a workout buddy who is dedicated to looking better, feeling better and performing better during the winter season? Consider joining a small group personal training studio to workout with other like-minded individuals who are seeking real health and fitness results. Fitness Together’s PACK Small Group Training can help you elevate your fitness routine this holiday season in a fun and energetic group setting, with coaching from a Fitness Together certified trainer.

In Fitness Together’s PACK training sessions, like-minded people begin together, work together and finish together in pursuit of a common purpose and to achieve individual goals. Call Fitness Together today to pack your winter with a fun, affordable and structured health and fitness routine for you and your buddy.

October Nutrition Tip of Week 4: Eat the Halloween pumpkin!

Pumpkin should double as a seasonal decoration and a fall food staple. Pumpkin is loaded with fiber as well as the powerful antioxidant pro-vitamin, beta-carotene. Plus, one entire cup contains a mere 30 calories!  

One of the best parts of the pumpkin is its seeds- aka pepitas! Pepitas are great to add to salads, muffins, or eat by themselves!

Read more in our Nutrient Brief: Pumpkin Power with link to lighter pumpkin pie