Spirit Science: You can be anything you want to be and feel the way you want to feel

Just take a few minutes and watch this video. I truly believe that health starts with improving our consciousness, that is, being aware of our thoughts, motivations, defenses and negative self talk. We can change our lives just by opening our eyes to the fact we are responsible for ourselves.

How our food is designed to be addictive

Is our food refined the way cocaine is refined from the cocoa leaf, designed to make us addicted and spending more money on our food drug of choice?

This video provides an interesting way to look at food and addiction in today's society. Check it out!

Pre New Year's Resolution Exercise

Today I did an interview with 680 News in Calgary and wanted to share one of the central pieces of advice I have for people wanting to improve their relationships with their bodies.

True lasting change doesn't start with choosing the perfect type of yogurt or finding the next miracle food or even committing to a new exercise regiment. It's not about finding the perfect trainer or the next hottest fitness studio that will be the answer to your health and fitness problems. It doesn't start with micro choices but instead trickles down from our larger life intentions.

Transformation and improved peace in life starts with knowing what really matters to us, that is, getting in alignment with what is truly most important. When were are out of alignment with our core values, we are driven to dissociate or numb out from our internal dissonance. This internal struggle and departure from what really matters to us can lead to lethargy and suck our energy dry.

Getting out of alignment could be letting our ego/ambition dominate our choices, working too much, taking us away from enough quality connected time with our kids or enough time to exercise and care for ourselves. It could be taking on too much outside work in terms of volunteerism so we look like supermoms to the outside world. It could be not setting aside enough time to connect with ourselves or our spouses or partners. I could go on and on. But we all know when we stray from the things that REALLY matter in our lives. When we are in alignment with our deepest selves, we don't feel the same drive to overeat or engage in behaviours that help us forget about a lack of fulfillment. (AKA addictive behaviours)

We all know on some level what our guiding core values should be.

If you're serious about really making change in your life for the better, I suggest you take a few days to ask yourself if your overall life paradigm is in alignment with your true self.

After living in the question of "What is truly important to me" write down the top five most important things in your life. These are your guiding principles. Start asking yourself every opportunity you have in making a choice, big or small, if you are moving closer or further away from your true values. Give yourself a break when you don't honor your values and notice when you've strayed. And make the next choice in front of you with consciousness and a sense of responsibility.

Life is too short and sweet to waste on living someone else's life eaten up by regret about what we wish might have been if only we knew at the time.

Exercise therapy for creative blocks

Over ten years ago my life took a dramatic turn. I left the security of a corporate career to start doing anything but that. I didn't know exactly where I was headed. I was just headed in the opposite direction and fast. I started reading the Artist's Way by Julia Cameron and followed her book to the letter. It helped unlock part of myself buried by my drive to conform to external ideas of what was normal, stable and successful. As part of my journey I started working with an acting coach, Richard McKenna, in semi private classes. Immediately, he assigned daily exercises that included free movement and meditation. The whole idea was to help remove my censor through the daily practice and free up my creative self. I did what he told me to do to the letter as well. As part of this process, I started painting again (I'd spent much of my childhood painting surrounded by artists) and explored some Kundalini yoga in addition to getting back into high intensity boxing and strength classes. I started reading about Kundalini and realized I was waking mine up. Although I doubt it's completely open, I do know it's no longer dormant. I'm not an expert in this area and would never pretend to be. However, I could feel something powerful energetically alive again and I found a part of myself waiting to we woken up. I eventually got enough work together to have an art show which I named, The Kundalini. There was a lot of painting with my nudie bod' on the canvas as the paint brush. My work kind of sucked. I sold one painting. But the process is what was most important. The awakening. I had been living from my neck up since starting business school at 19. I was seriously blocked from my creative self for several years.

Kundalini is a psycho-spiritual energy, the energy of the consciousness, which is thought to reside within the sleeping body, and is aroused either through spiritual discipline or spontaneously to bring new states of consciousness, including mystical illumination. Kundalini is Sanskrit for "snake" or "serpent power," so-called because it is believed to lie like a serpent in the root chakra at the base of the spine. In Tantra Yoga kundalini is an aspect of Shakti, the divine female energy and consort of Shiva.

The power of kundalini is said to be enormous. Those having experienced it claim it to be indescribable. The phenomena associated with it varies from bizarre physical sensations and movements, pain, clairaudience, visions, brilliant lights, superlucidity, psychical powers, ecstasy, bliss, and transcendence of self. Kundalini has been described as liquid fire and liquid light.
Read full article

I could write a book about exercise and movement and removing creative blockages but instead I'll just summarize the way I approach it. I've worked with accomplished writers, artists, directors and loads of creative types. But I do believe that anyone needs to have their creative centre alive and well to be CREATING the life they want.

So my advice is vitality important for artists but equally important for the survival of everyone's creative life force which to me is the same thing as spirit.

First, we need structure in the way we try to remove creative blocks. Many artists lack structure and therefore can flail during blocks. Scheduling appointments with ourselves to move, workout, practice yoga is a vitally important aspect of helping our creativity flow. It can be an anchor for meditative movement and a disciplined approach to making work.

We have to wake up the muscles around the root chakra to wake up our creative centre. This requires excellent pelvic floor engagement, strength in the pelvis and butt muscles and extra strong lower abdominal muscle fibres to create a container for the powerful creative energy we all can manifest. Many people say they have no lower abdominal strength. It is merely a function of our ability to use our brains to send signals to these muscles. In creating the pathway from our brains to the muscles around the Kundalini we are building an energetic pathway from our primal creative life force up to our intellect so we are no longer just using just ourselves from the neck up to create. By building this energetic pathway and by building a strong container around our Kundalini we can then strengthen our abilities to tune into our creativity. A strong connection between our root energy and our brains eventually manifests as a feedback loop, our intellect and physical beings in balance.

But guess what? Sitting at a desk all day actually shuts down this area and these muscles. Most people now sit for work all day and this leaves many people feeling blocked creatively. This powerful creative energy lies dormant and even stagnant.

The cure? Set up a time to come see me for a private, come to one of my classes or if you're not in my area, we can do a remote coaching session. Everyone needs a slightly different approach depending on how weak the mind body connection is and long someone has lived with being out of touch with their body and pure life force.

All the best in your journey creating the life you dream of.

Jane

Exercise therapy for depression

This time of year people often experience a dip in their energy levels. It's a hard time of year for people to avoid using food to pick themselves up from their lows, like a way to stuff away the blues. We all turn to different activities to self medicate from whatever is bugging us. It can range from food, sex, cigarettes, booze or even just a thought process that provides us with a dopamine jolt.

When I was 15 I started using exercise to pick myself from the stress and anxiety of growing up in an insecure and tumultuous household. It was my go to drug of choice for picking myself, even temporarily from the downs I would feel from being in a household I didn't feel like a fit. Always being told I was too sensitive, had to grow a tougher skin or being coached that I overreacted to unpredictable rages and sometimes even violence. The only time I felt totally free of my pain was when I was kicking my legs up in the air during old school high impact aerobics. The environment of Fitco, my club of choice, also made me feel like I belonged somewhere. I felt light and alive.

Even though these highs were temporary, I thank my lucky stars that I had the wisdom to turn to these activities and this positive community oriented environment to feel good. I did take this too far as some points in my life. Using exercise too much, being obsessive compulsive about exercise and not listening to when I had over done it.

Not all teenagers or not all people for that matter are as lucky as I have been to find something non-destructive to medicate themselves with. Many people find much less healthy methods to keep depression and anxiety at bay. My passion for fitness comes from my own personal experience with how it has saved me at many different points in my life.

I urge anyone who knows that exercise will help them particularly as the days get shorter and the urge to hibernate and overeat kicks in. We all know exercise is good for us. We are assaulted with the knowledge that we should be doing better at taking care of ourselves.

But if we can let go of the idea that we have to do it perfectly, get 5 workouts in a week, achieve the recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week and just focus on doing something even small, certainly the tide in our lives will shift and we can slowly propel ourselves into forward motion towards picking ourselves up with something so obviously beneficial to us.

I could list the benefits exercise to brain chemistry like better serotonin uptake, the feel good chemicals that act like natural heroin in our brain, the feeling of vitality in moving our bodies the way they we were designed to be used, increased sex drive due to increased testosterone levels not to mention improved body image. We all know this by now no?

It's just about taking the first scary step into perhaps an unfamiliar gym or even dragging your ass down to the beach in your parka for a long walk. My most important piece of advice is to choose an environment for your brave step forward that makes you feel connected with nature or people. Find somewhere you can move be it gym or the outdoors that makes you feel lighter where you can exhale your stress and let go of your worries.

This comes from my heart and soul. I don't know where I would be today if I hadn't lucked out back when I was fifteen. I know I can get blue in the winter. I know I couldn't be relatively grounded or a glass half full person for most of the time if I didn't move my body.

Just take the first step and keep finding the inner discipline to do little things that make you feel better, not worse.

I know from first hand experience working with hundreds of people that exercise can be the flotation device we need during a storm and that it can even propel you forward in a new life direction.

When NOT to buy someone a fitness gift

My most recent iVillage column is all about the giving of fitness gifts this season including a clear description of when to or not to buy someone a fitness or health related gift.

I also list my top my recos at different price points.

So go check out the full article.

But first, a teaser...

Many people have the best of intentions when buying fitness related gifts for their loved ones. Of course we want people we love to be healthy and happy and to feel great about themselves. But make sure you are giving this gift because they are demonstrably into health, not because they complain about their weight. Do not buy anyone fitness gifts unless they've already expressed an interest in tackling their fitness or are already working out.

If you’re the mother of a teenage daughter absolutely DO NOT buy her something fitness related unless she’s been begging you for something. I’ve spoken to too many female clients that relive the moments their moms gave them workout videos telling me how much it scarred them to this day.

Also, a wife giving a husband a fitness gift can easily be construed as another behavior in the nagging spectrum only creating MORE resistance to change like a regressive little boy who will subconsciously refuse to do something just because someone is pushing too hard. STOP. THINK. THEN BUY.

Exercise Therapy is My Passion

MY DEFINITION OF EXERCISE THERAPY: Exploring the opportunity to accelerate physical, emotional and spiritual healing through movement and exercise.

What physical ailment or mental condition can't be aided through movement and exercise? Everything I'm reading is about yet another study showing the benefit of regular exercise on illness, medical conditions and psychiatric disorders.

My passion for quite some time has been in working closely with people who are looking for hope, looking for a promise that they can feel vital again despite major set backs in their lives. I'm doing my best to manifest new clients who need my passion, who's doctors haven't given them hope in their diagnosis or treatment. I love working with clients just before they take a giant leap of faith into an unknown path in life that might be ending a relationship, starting a new business venture or just simply taking responsibility for designing their lives the way they want them. Anyone I've described above needs to build stronger containers (their bodies) to support their beings through difficult times or transitions. Plus getting in better touch with our bodies forces us to listen to ourselves more closely. We can't ignore the need to rest. We can't shift into auto-pilot as easily and we certainly can't accept the status quo once we aren't numbed out.

I have clients with growing neuropathy down the entire side of their bodies and their neurologists just shrug and prescribe steroids. I have clients with MS who have been told this is the best they are going to feel for the rest of their lives and prepare for degeneration, that being able to stay out of a wheelchair is the best they can hope for. I have clients with potentially debilitating rare auto-immune diseases who need to find the strength to care for their young children and pay their bills. Their options for fitness environments are limited.

I have a hard time integrating into mainstream fitness communities because the fitness industry does not focus on the people who need help the most. Sure having a nice ass is great! Losing weight can definitely aid in the healing process of many illnesses and conditions. But how many people with serious shit going on feel welcome going into a big box gym? First, you have to fill out piles of waivers and medical release forms. You might be lucky to work out unsupervised in environments focused on protecting their own liability before helping people. Second, most trainers are scared to touch people who have complex issues. The most fit looking people out there are the ones who often have the most fucked up ideas about what true health means. Obsessive compulsive behaviours and type A attitudes towards health is not health to me. This is merely about micromanagement, not about taking a step back to look at what it means to be a balanced human being. Looking the part of a fit person does not require heightened levels of consciousness, deepened self compassion and alignment with what is truly most important in this world. When we get in alignment and start focusing on consciousness, a fit body will follow because we are listening to what we REALLY need in terms of food intake and movement.

There are no fitness certifications for many of things I see at Urbanfitt plus by the time I read an out of date textbook, there has been more research and development. It's an on the job learning process and forces collaboration with progressive health practitioners and constant finely tuned intuition and deep connection with each client.

The future of fitness is in exercise therapy. I'm not talking the traditional use of the term in physiotherapy settings or specialized medicalized environments. It is in using movement and exercise to release emotional repression, in improving true vitality so our bodies can heal, in getting in touch with our MOJO again so we are less likely to slip into depression and anxiety, in finding holistic ways to change our brain chemistry so fewer of us need to medicate our issues.

This might be a rant but it is a public announcement that I've been in this industry way too long to focus on the next it fitness toy (unless it fits with my priorities) or the hottest new fad eating plan, diet or cleanse. I don't want to contribute to the fitness industries' dysfunction and I certainly don't want to pretend I'm fit just because I have a flat stomach and small tush.

You Don't Have to be Fat to be Funny or Skinny to be Successful - An Interview with Naomi Snieckus

I had the pleasure of connecting with Naomi to talk to her about making peace with our body types. She's a truly confident grounded woman and I thought it would be important to share her wisdom and experience with health and fitness with other women.

Naomi Snieckus is an award-winning actress, improviser, and veritable impresario. She is the co-founder and member of The National Theatre of the World, three time Canadian Comedy Award winner for Best Improv Troupe, who will be performing their annual Impromptu Splendor: A Very Mamet-y Xmas Show with guest-star Ron James at Theatre Passe Muraille on December 11th. Naomi can also be seen in the upcoming new CBC sitcom Mr. D (premiering in January) and in a Martin Short comedy special also on the CBC in February. She is also the creator and co-producer of online series The Casting Room. For more info visit National Theatre of the World

Here's a teaser from our interview.

As a performer do you feel more pressure to look a certain way?
If I wasn’t a performer I’d still want to be healthy and fit so I don’t know if I put more pressure on myself.

I want to grow up and be one of those 60 or 70 year-old ladies where people say “she’s so flexible and so fit”. I don’t want to be the lady that is 70 and look like she’s 100. But the industry of TV and film caters to skinnier and slender ladies but I also just bring what I bring. I’ve never been one of those 6-foot tall models. I quickly realized who I am physically and I’m ok with that.

How would you describe your body type?
I’m Lithuanian so I’ve got muscles. I’m strong like bull. Comes in handy when things need to be lifted. Ya. That’s my body type. Lithuanian.

...Read the full article here!

Can you vibrate your way to better bone density?

There's been much debate about the benefits of vibration plate machines for bone density. For me, anything that doesn't require a little sweat and hard work seems too good to be true. I see many women with osteoporosis or osteopenia so I stay on top of research. Yes, there's been some studies to say that vibration machines will improve bone density but I was always skeptical.

The Globe and Mail reported on this most recent study that I'm vibing well with. ;)

But now a new Canadian study, published this week in Annals of Internal Medicine, has cast doubt over the burgeoning field of whole-body vibration. A trial of 202 postmenopausal women failed to show the device could build bone density. Some of the women were asked to stand on the platform for 20 minutes daily at home for 12 months. Other participants served as a control group. Bone density tests were taken at the beginning and end of the trial.

“To our disappointment, we did not find an effect from vibration therapy in these post-menopausal women,” said the senior researcher Angela Cheung, director of the osteoporosis program at the University Health Network in Toronto.

So there ya go. But you have to ask yourself, if you're looking for something that passively improves your health, then maybe you're just passive about your health in general.

Jane

Pema Chodron's 100,000 Aspirations Goal

Check out Pema Chodron's site.

She's putting a call out for aspirations! Log yours to help raise group consciousness and send positive energy out into the world. It'll also firm up your commitment to your aspiration by writing it down and sharing over twitter and facebook.

Gathering 100,000 of our best intentions and radiating them to the world.



My aspiration:

I aspire to help people find their vitality and life force through movement and deep interpersonal connection.

I do believe having a sense of purpose that has at its root contributing to the world is the best way to prevent depression and improve our chances of being at peace with our existence. True

Trainer Tips to Tackling Holiday Excess BEFORE it Starts

I'm a strong believer in the power of our beliefs and thoughts to determine outcomes in our lives. This article is primarily about that.

If you think something will be so, it will be so. It's something I'm trying to become more and more aware of in my own life. The power to manifest both the positive and negative.

So take a look at the full article but here's a teaser.

Do you see yourself at holiday parties and family dinners gorging yourself to the point of self-loathing or even just indulging beyond what you know is reasonable? Do you anticipate the pressure from family members to over do it on the food front without a strong enough will to set boundaries with people who love you through food?

Maybe you see yourself getting a little tipsy at every single holiday party and plan on a hard-core cleanse in January. I offer you a quote that is a guiding principle for my life and one I always bring into my weight loss and health coaching at Urbanfitt.

“The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” - Frank Lloyd Wright
If we believe losing weight or keeping it off is going to be next to impossible, our behaviours and choices will reflect this belief.

I offer you an alternative vision of the holidays: The ability to enjoy the sensual pleasures of the holidays within reason by raising our self-awareness and consciousness about our moment- to-moment choices.

Nevada Health District Raids Picnic due to Unregulated Organic Foods

Genetically modified foods at McDonald's are glorified and promoted via endorsed USDA certification. Meanwhile, fresh natural, organic food is a "threat to our health and well being"?! Support locally grown organic food, before this starts happening here!!! (quote from Scott Heaney regarding this video).

Things like what happened at this innocent picnic in Nevada really make me wonder where western society is headed. Watch it and see if you're left as perplexed as me. If we grow our own food are people going to break down our doors to force us to pour bleach over it?

New Study: Aging Well Through Exercise

I talk a lot about seeing older clients post cancer treatment and seeing the amazing youth deriving benefits of resistance exercise.

I don't need studies to make me believe in what I see with my own eyes every day. But never hurts to spread with word with cold hard research. Gretchen Reynolds from the New York Times reported on a new ground breaking study that tickles my fancy. So take a look at the full article. Here's an excerpt.

Consider the results of a stirring study published last month in the journal The Physician and Sportsmedicine. For it, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh recruited 40 competitive runners, cyclists and swimmers. They ranged in age from 40 to 81, with five men and five women representing each of four age groups: 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70-plus. All were enviably fit, training four or five times a week and competing frequently. Several had won their age groups in recent races.

They completed questionnaires detailing their health and weekly physical activities. Then the researchers measured their muscle mass, leg strength and body composition, determining how much of their body and, more specifically, their muscle tissue was composed of fat. Other studies have found that as people age, they not only lose muscle, but the tissue that remains can become infiltrated with fat, degrading its quality and reducing its strength.

There was little evidence of deterioration in the older athletes’ musculature, however. The athletes in their 70s and 80s had almost as much thigh muscle mass as the athletes in their 40s, with minor if any fat infiltration

I've believed the fountain of youth is maintaining muscle mass. This study goes to show that you can exercise and have the body of someone 20 years younger. We need to adapt our ideas of what aging means and start seeing that having bodies that fall apart is a function of choice and not pre-determined.

Let's Welcome Stephanie Kus and Paluna Santamaria to Urbanfitt

Urbanfitt has some exciting changes to announce!

But first a moment to say how much we already miss Sara-Clare who recently moved to Montreal :) Whaawhaa.

We have two new instructors who recently joined us at Urbanfitt.



I'd like to introduce Stephanie Kus as part of our fabulous group of Urbanfitt instructors. We know each other from way back in the Level Five days. It was my very good fortune that Goodlife bought Eclipse October 1st. There has been a westward migration since many of the individuals who once flourished there do not fit into the corporate culture that is Goodlife.

So join me in welcoming Stephanie Kus to Urbanfitt. She's teaching Saturday Urban Warrior - Circuit Strength class. If you'd like to register for the next Saturday six class session starting December 3rd, do it now by emailing help@urbanfitt or give us a ring at 416.964.3309. We reserve space when full payment is received.

Stephanie has been a fitness professional since 2002 bringing a strong focus on functional training with proper form and technique to provide safe and effective workouts to class participants and personal training clients. She has taught indoor cycling, body sculpting, plyometrics, Swiss ball, and circuit training and loves to motivate people to challenge themselves and realize the potential of their own bodies. Her training background includes crossfit, yoga, Olympic lifting, martial arts, cycling and kettlebell work. In her spare time Steph enjoys getting out on long early morning bike rides as well as hitting the park with her two dogs Casper and Obi.



And a big welcome to Paluna who came to us through Sara-Clare. She has taken over Sara-Clare's Kettlebell MMA class on Monday nights. She's a one of a kind woman and a gift to have at Urbanfitt. To reserve your space for the next Monday session, do it now! It starts Monday December 5th.

Paluna started her movement exploration journey at a young age. Coming from a family where her father devoted half of his life to the practice of yoga, she was introduced to the discipline at the age of 5. Always curious and fascinated by the human body, she has practised a wide variety of sports and martial arts as well as joining a swimming team for three consecutive years and getting a Pilates certification in 2004.
Now certified as a Personal Trainer with specialties in pre/post natal, post rehab, kettlebell training and yoga she dedicates her life entirely to teaching.
Completely convinced of the healing qualities of movement not only on a physical, but an emotional level, she enjoys helping participants find that discipline that makes them smile and feel happy to the bone. “If you enjoy it, you’ll stick to it” Paluna says.
Paluna brings her expertise to Urbanfitt as an instructor and trainer.

How Light Therapy Can Boost Your Energy in Darker Month

Here's a taste of my most recent iVillage Column with some great links to more information for people who feel their energy dipping with the shortening days.

Plus check out an event I'm hosting on Nov 9th for all those motivated energy seekers who want to feel better.

Every fall when the sun starts setting early and I wake up to an alarm in the dark, I feel a strong desire to conserve energy, hibernate and just slow down. But the reality of my life is that I still have to be full of energy to motivate my clients and be fully present as a parent. I’m not a bear that gets to crawl into a cave for winter. I’ve traveled all over and constantly find myself picking hot climates with lots of sun, sand and the ocean at my disposal. I’m not built for Toronto winters!

A few years ago, right around this time of year, I knew I had to start being proactive about my energetic deficit. I couldn’t spend another cold Toronto winter just trying to make it to spring. I had read about light therapy lamps for people who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. I started being very honest with myself. Maybe I suffered from SAD. But as I started researching light therapy, it became clear that most people who lose sunlight in the winter could benefit.

Read full article

Gabor Mate on the stress illness connection

I heard Dr. Gabor Mate speak on Friday night at a small venue. An honor to be included in that evening.
Needless to say, his humanity, intelligence and wisdom was enlightening and revealing.
Please watch this. Western medicine is so limited. You can't get well as an entire being without addressing emotional and spiritual issues and the process isn't about reaching a destination. It's about choosing core values and continually realigning with them.

WATCH THIS

Do you have a set point for exercise?

Gretchen Reynolds, of the New York Times, just reported on a new study out.

Does exercising at one point during the day make you less active the rest of the time?

The question of whether humans have an innate set point for movement, a so-called activitystat, is of increasing interest and controversy among scientists. One of them is Dr. Terence J. Wilkin, a professor of endocrinology at the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth, England, who asked himself that question a few years ago while hoping to learn more about the interplay of activity and childhood obesity.

Read full article

A personal reflection on this study...

When I put out more energy, I need more down time. Let's say I work an 11 day like I do on Wednesdays, I need to balance it out with sloth time later or even on the weekend. Maybe a nap in the studio or a relaxing pedicure. I know how much energy I have and more activity requires me to rest more.

Dr. Wilkin had expected that the children at the prep school, who spent about 65 percent more time exercising at school than the other students, would be much more active over all. But they weren’t. In fact, when he collated the data, the weekly activity levels of the students from all three schools were remarkably similar. Students who exercised more at school were less active afterward.

What does this mean for managing childhood obesity or obesity in general? The answer isn't just more exercise. Weight loss and weight management is 80% food related.

And in reality, most people in our society haven't even come close to their maximal exercise out put. So don't take this finding as discouraging. Get off your ass and leave it behind! And particularly right now, lay off the Halloween candy. A little goes a long way.

Second trimester workout plus more

Go check out my most recent iVillage Column, Second Trimester Workout. I'm routing for all the preggers out there who want to feel good for the majority of their pregnancy.

I talk about the exercise contraindications for you in your second trimester and provide a simple and effective workout you can do at home with little financial investment. PLUS I explain the purpose of each exercise so you understand why you're doing it!

AND BTW, big kudos for me ;). My article, "The one exercise you need to ramp up your sex life", got posted on the homepage of MSN. Steamy and useful for sure!

Also, go check out my editor, Adina Goldman's, verdict on the one month of building strength from the inside out with me as her coach.

Enjoy!!!

Lots of love,

Jane

The Indo Board Workout: Functional or another fad?

I saw this posted on the New York Times Well Blog and thought it looked kind of fun. The only thing that totally loses me with new group fitness classes though are the 'cardio' or warm up moves. I started teaching in 1991 and it seems that these moves just won't go away. If I never do another grape vine in my life, I will be happy. Why can't group fitness move to more functional warm ups like joint mobility and dynamic stretching to actually prepare the body for movement!

So in terms of how useful I think the Indo Board Workout is, I work with people with compromised proprioception (meaning "one's own" and perception and the sense of the relative position of neighbouring parts of the body and strength of effort being employed in movement). In fact, most people who live from the neck up and don't really tune into their bodies benefit from work that makes them think about what their bodies have to do to accomplish a movement.

I also find work that focuses on proprioception is an excellent stress reduction tool. It's like moving meditation. When we have to focus in the moment on exactly what we're doing or we will fall or lose balance, the past and the future melt away.

People post chemo often have issues with proprioception as do people with any neurological issues. I also find people suffering from anxiety and depression find it hard to complete balance exercises possible due to a completely taxed nervous system.

In addition to work that makes people sweat and improve strength, I love work that integrates the entire being to make people more body aware. So thumbs up to the Indo Board workout. But could you guys lose the cheesy toe tapping cardio and 90s aerobic style warm up? It's not necessary nor is it functional.

Peace,

Jane

Reebok to pay $25M over toning shoe claims

Just goes to show people are getting wiser to whacky claims about apparent fitness benefits of new fads, like toning shoes.

I like to think that eventually the cream rises to the top and people who don't have the best of intentions or ethics will be held accountable in some way. This ought to seal the deal for any of you thinking about buying toning shoes. Instead, get your butt to the gym and sweat and strength train and stop the hand to mouth reflex.

Shoes aren't the answer. The answer to a nice toned arss and sexy legs in within you. There are no short cuts.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Reebok will need to tone down advertising for its shoes that claim to reshape your backside.
The athletic shoe and clothing company will pay $25 million in customer refunds to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that it falsely advertised that its "toning" shoes could measurably strengthen the muscles in the legs, thighs and buttocks. As part of the settlement, Reebok also is barred from making some of these claims without scientific evidence.
"Settling does not mean we agree with the FTC's allegations," Dan Sarro, a Reebok spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday. "We do not. We have received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from thousands of EasyTone customers."
It's the latest controversy surrounding so-called toning shoes, which are designed with a rounded or otherwise unstable sole. Shoemakers say the shoes force wearers to use more muscle to maintain balance and consumers clamored for them, turning toning shoes into a $1.1 billion market in just a few years. Companies such as Reebok, New Balance and Skechers have faced lawsuits over their advertising claims. But the FTC settlement, announced Wednesday, is the first time the government has stepped in.

And Kim, you and I both know your coveted ass has nothing to do with you wearing toning shoes.

Read full article

First Trimester Home Workout

My most recent iVillage Column is a equipment free home workout for women in their first trimester. It was soooo hard to write. So many things to consider including experience level with exercise, choosing exercises that even barfy mamas can do easily and creating enough of a challenge that mamas will feel like they actually did something.

I put together five exercises that hit all the major muscle groups and work on alignment and structural balance to help with the weight about to be packed on. This pic is of the plie squat. Since gravity plays a really important role in getting the cervix to open up during labor, we need to find the strength to squat while in labor.

It might seem far fetched that you're going to actually work out while you feel nauseous and exhausted, but it always helped me feel better. I remember many times in my first trimester (when everyone at the studio I was working at the time didn't know I was pregnant yet) sitting in a bathroom stall before a class wondering how I was going to get through an hour of teaching and motivating people. And every single time I got the strength together to move a bit, I ALWAYS felt better for a good couple hours.

So go check it out!

Victoria's Smoothie Recipe

Victoria Fodor is a legend in her circles for her dinner parties, her wonderful homemade frozen meal service (Victoria's Kitchen) and for just being the nurturing full of life woman that she is.

Today she and I were chatting and she told me about this AMAZING smoothie recipe she came up with.

I would say, treat this as a bit more of a dessert smoothie. But it's loaded up with so many different nutrients in a totally yummy way, that I had to pass it along. I love yummy and healthy foods.



This should make a few servings!

1 banana (packed with potassium and fibre, also Vitamin B6 and C)
2 tablespoons almond butter (protein, omegas, calcium and Vitamin E)
6 dates (rich iron and in antioxidant flavonoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, packed with fibre)
Chocolate almond milk (vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron, fiber, zinc and calcium)
Coconut water (cytokinins in coconut water showed significant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and anti-thrombotic effects)
Pinch of cinnamon (calcium, iron, vitamins C, K, and manganese)

Add liquid in equal parts to your desired consistency. Yum!

Thanks Victoria!

The Truth about Toning Shoes

Just watch this. Really. She knows what she's talking about. There's nothing that will make people have 'toned' bodies without sweat and eating mindfully. Shoes won't deliver miracles. Consistency, commitment and strategy is what it takes. So could people just stop asking me about their potential benefit please? There is no magic pill!!!!

They could actually hurt you. If we were meant to walk in what feels like a mini rocking chair, our feet would be in the shape of a rocking chair.

Why You Shouldn't Fear Prenatal Exercise

My iVillage column this week has at its heart, the hope that I will somehow inspire even one pregnant woman to get on the path of self care during pregnancy. Once baby comes around, all the attention goes off the mama's health and gets directed at the baby. I always felt this paradigm was flawed at it's core. If the mama is the primary caregiver, then the oxygen mask on first analogy should prevail. Happy mom. Happy baby.

I know how hard it is to care for a new born. Some babies are harder than others. If I hadn't had the physical strength I did when my daughter was born, I wouldn't have been as engaged with her as I was. I wouldn't have been able to milk the beautiful moments the way I so often could (not a perfect record on this front of course!).

I really had NO idea how intense having a new born was going to be. The one thing we do have in our control if we have a normal pregnancy, is to make ourselves as robust as possible for all the unpredictability and chaos those little tiny beings bring into our lives.

So go check out my most recent column to get a bit of inspiration and maybe even a bit of a kick in the pants you need to get moving mama!

Here's a bit of an excerpt as a teaser...

James Clapp M.D. (unrelated to moi), is the world’s leading prenatal exercise researcher and author of “Exercising Through Your Pregnancy”. He conducted a 1990 study that concluded that women who exercised regularly during their pregnancy had shorter labors, fewer C-sections, less uses of forceps and their babies had higher APGAR scores. APGAR is an acronym for activity, pulse, grimace, appearance, and respiration and is the test given to a newborn immediately after birth.

Read full article

Stay posted on my soon to arrive column, "First trimester home workout"

If you've got a baby bump right now, hope you're happy and well!

Jane

How University Students Can Fight "The Freshman 15"

My most recent iVillage Canada column comes at the perfect time. Kids are settling into their first year of university and have some control over what's coming ahead, the Freshman 15.

Rapid weight gain or weight loss is often a symptom of something awry within someone. A lack of internal emotional and psychological balance can manifest on the exterior. The freshman 15 isn't just about too much greasy pizza and beer gardens.

Kids are faced with one of the most dramatic transitions, moving away from home and launching into early adulthood. With that comes emotional challenges and stress.

I tried to sum up the big picture issues and simple health tips for new university students in 500 words.

Check it out

A month of strength training from the inside out

I love being given a challenge. When iVillage Senior Editor, Adina Goldman, approached me to help her with her one month challenge of building core strength, I was ready. Coaching people towards their goals is so much more than designing an exercise program for them. It's about understanding the flow of their lives, overall priorities, time constraints and getting to deeper to their true motivation for wanting to make a change. Only then, can a coach truly help facilitate positive change.

My most recent iVillage column is all about Adina and my assessment of where she's at and my recommendation for her progress. So go check it out!

Here's a teaser from Adina. You might be able to relate very well to where she's at. So stay posted for her/our updates of our month together, creating strength from the inside out.

Intro by Adina: I’ve been working an office job for most of my adult life, and as 40 looms menacingly in the distance, I find myself feeling the impact of all those years at a desk, hunched over a keyboard. While I ride my bike do a weekly yoga class, it’s not enough.

Come 5pm, I find it harder to stand up straight. These days, my posture is getting hunched and I am way more prone to brutal kinks in my neck. Lately, picking up my son (who is really too old to be carried) can throw my back into uncomfortable spasms. Is this what getting older is all about? What can I do to get stronger?

When I spoke with our fitness expert Jane Clapp, she said I need to build up my core strength. And I am a lucky, lucky editor – she’s agreed to be my personal trainer for a month, helping me create a regimen that focuses on building core strength in my minimal free time. We are SO on. Introducing ‘My Month With a Personal Trainer"

Do you eat when you’re stressed? This new study knows why

Since opening Urbanfitt over 6 years ago, my health philosophy has become more and more holistic. Squatting our asses off and sweating our faces off isn't the most important part of getting fit and staying a healthy body weight. It's all about our overall health: physical, emotional and spiritual. I always include 15 minutes of myofascial release ( AKA self massage on a roller) and fascial stretch therapy at the end of my client sessions to help the body heal after a workout and release chronic stress. Any trainer who doesn't look at fitness from the inside out hasn't been on a journey of self discovery through enough stressful times to truly understand how to coach people who are living with chronic stress. We coach to whatever depth we have been to ourselves. So when choosing a trainer, make sure you feel like they have walked or could walk a mile in your shoes so that they get where you are at, see past the surface of you and, instead, look to understand your life in designing your fitness approach.

When I get really stressed, I feel slightly nauseous and lose my appetite. Most of my clients have the reverse problem when it comes to stress. They want to eat more. So I'm always looking at understanding this stress response because I have the opposite problem. Some people build a porch (i.e a belly) under prolonged stress and some people burn a porch (i.e. lose weight) under prolonged stress. You know which one you are. In choosing an exercise plan, it has to be something that helps you let go of stress and tension especially if you're an overeater or undereater during stress.

A new study gives fitness professionals even more reason to coach clients in a holistic way.

A new Canadian study has pinpointed how stress can temporarily rewire the nerve cells in the brain to ramp up hunger pangs. The findings finally put some science behind what people have thought for years.

“There’s lots of anecdotal evidence,” noted Jaideep Bains, a scientist at the University of Calgary. “People say when they’re stressed, they eat a lot … When you don’t eat, you have this really increased desire to eat, that perhaps you don’t sense the satiety signals the same way, or you tend to overeat.”

Dr. Bains and a team of researchers from the university’s Hotchkiss Brain Institute used rats to study how the brain reacts to stress. And in the case of rats, a key stress is availability of food. So the scientists took away the rodents’ food supply for a day and then examined what happened in their brains.

They looked at the nerve cells, or neurons, of the hypothalamus, the ancient part of the brain, which has previously been identified as playing a key role in controlling appetite and metabolism. The hypothalamus is also the main area responsible for how the brain handles stress.

Their findings, published online this week in the journal Neuron, found that the endocannabinoids, or chemicals that are produced in the brain to control how cells communicate, which also regulate food consumption, were negatively impacted by stress.

(taken from the Globe and Mail)

Intuitively, we know that there's more at play with weight gain and overeating than simple impulse control issues. It's a complicated relationship between our mind and body. Sometimes one of the best ways to change our bodies is to tackle our emotional challenges. We need to find ways to deal with stress and find fitness professionals who can assess our full beings, not just look at a number on a scale or a body fat % and then give us a cookie cutter diet and exercise program. We get the best results when we give our mind and body exactly what it needs to get in balance.

Nick Carter's Visit To Urbanfitt

Nick Carter swung by Urbanfitt last night to do a special online video chat with iVillage Canada and the wonderful Taylor Kaye passed along iVillage reader's questions. Here are some pics from last night. Maggie wandered right into the shot at one point and was all smiles, being as adorable as ever. A pleasure to host it!

Stay posted for my iVillage Canada interview with Nick Carter. I interviewed him to find out more about how he stays fit and smokin' hot given his busy life as rock star!

The Energy Project and Take Back Your Lunch

Ever wonder what happened to the lunch hour? Where did it go? Are we actually more productive because we don't take time away from our desks and end up gobbling down food in front of our computer screen. Check this out!



People are more sleep deprived, stressed and exhausted now than a few decades ago. Our compulsive productivity oriented society isn't working for most people. Simple activities like going for a walk, sitting in a park or even reading a bit of a book you're loving will help reenergize you for the rest of your day. It will also make it easier to stay away from caffeine, sugar or other stimulants later in the afternoon.

Here s the book that inspired the Take Back your Lunch Movement.

"The Way We're Working Isn't Working" by Tony Schwartz, CEO of the Energy Project.



Here's a bit more about his book.

The defining ethic in the modern workplace is more, bigger, faster. More information than ever is available to us, and the speed of every transaction has increased exponentially, prompting a sense of permanent urgency and endless distraction. We have more customers and clients to please, more e-mails to answer, more phone calls to return, more tasks to juggle, more meetings to attend, more places to go, and more hours we feel we must work to avoid falling further behind.

The technologies that make instant communication possible anywhere, at any time, speed up decision making, create efficiencies, and fuel a truly global marketplace. But too much of a good thing eventually becomes a bad thing. Left unmanaged and unregulated, these same technologies have the potential to overwhelm us. The relentless urgency that characterizes most corporate cultures undermines creativity, quality, engagement, thoughtful deliberation, and, ultimately, performance.

No matter how much value we produce today—whether it’s measured in dollars or sales or goods or widgets—it’s never enough. We run faster, stretch out our arms further, and stay at work longer and later. We’re so busy trying to keep up that we stop noticing we’re in a Sisyphean race we can never win.

All this furious activity exacts a series of silent costs: less capacity for focused attention, less time for any given task, and less opportunity to think reflectively and long term. When we finally do get home at night, we have less energy for our families, less time to wind down and relax, and fewer hours to sleep. We return to work each morning feeling less rested, less than fully engaged, and less able to focus. It’s a vicious cycle that feeds on itself. Even for those who still manage to perform at high levels, there is a cost in overall satisfaction and fulfillment. The ethic of more, bigger, faster generates value that is narrow, shallow, and short term. More and more, paradoxically, leads to less and less.

Just a little food for thought. The world isn't going to suddenly change around us. We have to change ourselves to feel healthier, more engaged and more fulfilled. It could start with something as simple as stepping away from your desk to mindfully eat your lunch and give yourself a bit of downtime.

Jane

Dr. Gabor Mate: Interview on TVO regarding his book "When the Body Says No"

I'm absolutely fascinated with the mind body connection. I'm not just talking about it on a superficial level in terms of mind body fitness related activities. I'm talking about it on a fundamental health level. I see so many clients with random illness, especially cancer and autoimmune disease. I'm absolutely ecstatic that I get to hear Dr. Gabor Mate speak in October.

If you are someone who can't say no and is constantly feeling exhausted by all of your obligations, then you have to start looking at your health more seriously.

Watch this, please! I have personal experience with idiopathic illness that almost killed me. I have been committed to working with my clients in a more holistic way in large part due to my own experience.

The Cure for Chub Rub

Sometimes I take requests in class for exercises or body parts. Sometimes I entertain the requests if they aren't too kooky. Often, women ask for inner thigh exercises still hanging on to the lost cause of spot reduction. It seems people take issues with their thighs rubbing together. Certainly, endurance athletes who have to deal with inner thigh chafing have a legitimate complaint. Any chafing stings like hell in a post workout shower and can get infected due to moisture and constant irritation.

My most recent column at iVillage is all about inner thigh chafing AKA chub rub. Get your mind out of the gutter.
It might be impossible to stop our thighs from touching but there are some creative solutions out there to make it less annoying!

So go check out the article! There's also a picture and description of my favourite inner thigh exercise I like to call "Bladerunner".

Preaching a Healthy Diet in the Deep-Fried Delta

A client told me about this article in the New York Times. I had to share it with all of you. It is truly inspiring. I'm not a religious person and I don't go to church. I am a true believer in the fact that when our bodies are out of balance our mind and souls cannot shine the way they were intended to.

And after a trip to Ontario Place yesterday, I can see that the obesity crisis isn't going away. Although this article is about an area in Mississippi, Canadians should know that our obesity stats are getting closer and closer to those of the U.S.. People don't seem to be motivated by their doctors to make changes. But maybe we will be motivated and empowered by leaders in our communities to find the strength and accountability to change.

Mississippi finds itself on the wrong end of just about every list of health indicators. It is first among states in percentage of children who are obese, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. It is first in rates of heart disease, second in the number of adults with diabetes, second in adult obesity, near last in the percentage of adults who participate in physical activity, near last in fruit and vegetable consumption and dead last in life expectancy.

For over a decade from his pulpit here at Oak Hill Baptist in North Mississippi, the Rev. Michael O. Minor has waged war against obesity and bad health. In the Delta this may seem akin to waging war against humidity, but Mr. Minor has the air of the salesman he once was, and the animated persistence to match.

Read full article

Maybe when we used to live laborious lives, not desk bound car lifestyles, we could eat whatever we wanted. But this isn't the reality anymore. We just don't move as much as we used to but our appetites just haven't adjusted yet. And let's face it, everything has gotten bigger from coffee cups to salads. What is going to become of us as a population?

Who's the blame about childhood obesity?

Incredible. MacDonalds has added apples to their happy meals after pressure from consumers and regulators. But is this really a solution to childhood obesity? I have a magic word that comes in handy when my daughter asks for crap food. It's NO! It's not to say she doesn't get treats but it's all about limits right?

Childhood obesity is a complex issue. I agree. But have many parents lost the ability to say NO both to themselves and their kids when it comes to eating fast food regularly? As Michael Pollan says, "Eat food. Mostly vegetables. Not too much".

McDonald’s Corp. is adding apples to all its Happy Meals and launching a nutrition-focused mobile phone app as part of a broader health push.

The changes that underscore how the restaurant industry is reacting to the demands of customers and regulators who blame it for health ills ranging from childhood obesity to diabetes.


- McDonald’s pledged to reduce sugars, saturated fats and calories through “varied portion sizes, reformulations and innovations” by 2020. It didn’t give details. By 2015, it will reduce sodium by 15 per cent.

– McDonald’s will introduce a new mobile app focused just on nutrition information.

– McDonald’s U.S. president Jan Fields and other executives will go on a “listening tour” in August to hear suggestions from parents and nutrition experts. The chain will also launch a new online forum for parents.

taken from the Globe and Mail

It is true that food manufacturers develop the perfect blend of fat, sugar and salt to make food extremely pleasurable. It is also true that MacDonalds markets the shit out of their products to make them look like fun to kids. Hello? Ronald MacDonald. I just feel that our society could become way too paternalistic where we stop taking full responsibility for our choices and start blaming them on giant corporations. Is the corporation there each time we take our hand and put it to our mouths? There are so many systemic issues at play that contribute to the obesity crisis, way too many to try to talk about now. But change starts with the individual. I can't impact them in a big way but I can take responsibility for myself and my daughter.

In fact, many of my friends have poisoned their kids against MacDonalds by nick naming it "McDirtys". When their kids drive by a MacDonalds, they say "ooh McDirtys".

I have a hard time even thinking about putting their food in my mouth, not because I'd never indulge in fast food. Very occasionally, you can catch me eating fast food. I'm human, not a fitness robot. In desperation one morning last year I ordered an egg McMuffin, yes I did, and I took a bite and it was cold and moldy. I just can't go back. There's no freakin love or care in their food and people who work there are miserable most of the time, living below the poverty line.

When I told my daughter that MacDonalds was adding apples to their happy meals because many people feel that companies like MacDonalds are making children obese, she said, "Mommy. It's not MacDonalds. It's the parents."

Out of the mouth of babes.

Cirque inspired workout will have you flying!

My latest column at iVillage Canada is all about suspension training and the hottest tools out there that people are gravitating towards with links to find them.

I also designed a four exercise gymnastics rings circuit with information on where to buy them. So go check it out !

All I can say is that the gymnastics rings are one of the most efficient tools for core and upper body strengthening I've ever used.

If you want to come for a ring workout, just drop me a line at jane@urbanfitt.com to book your next class. Here's a link to our current class schedule. Your first sweat is on us!

7 Exercise strategies to battle premature aging

I WISH I could sit down with every trainer on the planet who still thinks that more exercise at a higher intensity is what it takes to get people fit and lean. It makes me crazy to think that fitness professionals are out there that don't think like health professionals looking at the big picture wellness of a client in order to prescribe individualized fitness for where people are at in their lives. In fact, are there still trainers out there that operate this way? Yikes.

It's all about getting the body back in balance. I feel like a broken record sometimes. But sometimes I experience small victories. Like today a dear friend and client emailed me to let me know she saw Dr. Penny Kendall-Reed, Naturopathic doctor, who I consulted for my most recent iVillage article "7 Exercise strategies to battle premature aging".

Week after week my dear friend would come in for an early morning workout after only sleeping 6 hours the night before having been unable to stay asleep due to stress. Eventually, she developed digestive disorders that her doctor investigated through imaging and then got referred to a nutritionist. The nutritionist got her on an elimination diet, didn't ask her about her work life balance issues and sent her on her way. In addition, she started having issues with historic injuries and they just wouldn't heal the way they had in the past. I pleaded with her. You are burnt out. Your body is saying no because you can't say no for yourself. You need to heal your body, get help learning to sleep again without the use of pharmaceuticals and learn how to set more realistic works goals for yourself. Also, I talked to her about how her cortisol and hormones were out of balance. Well she heard the same thing from Dr. Kendall-Reed today and slept for 9 hours straight for the first time in god knows how long.

So go check out my recent article on iVillage Canada. Find out what ya gotta do to slow down the rapid aging process many of us get caught up in our efforts to 'get ahead' in life.

Exercise can reduce symptoms of ADD/ADHD

Surprise surprise...the effect of exercise on symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder is being studied. It is believed that the way exercise changes brain chemistry will have a positive impact on people who suffer from ADD. What is exercise not good for treating?

Here is some great information to explain why. (taken from an interview with Dr. J Ratey from Mescape.com)

Attention-deficit disorder (ADD), also called attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is often surrounded by controversy over medication use and is perceived by many as a condition that is overtreated. John J. Ratey, MD, advocates that exercise should be included in the treatment regimen, and that exercise can even reduce or eliminate the need for medication. An Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Dr. Ratey is author of the book Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain, as well as several related books in the popular press. He also has consulted on clinical studies pertaining to exercise and psychiatric conditions.

Dr. Ratey: First, ADD affects at least 8%-10% of children, and almost as many adults. It's now considered a biological brain disorder and may have genetic components.

There are 2 basic ways of thinking about ADD in relation to exercise: One is about the neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, both believed to be drivers of the attention system. Exercise increases the concentration of both dopamine and norepinephrine, as well as other brain chemicals. I have always said that a dose of exercise is like taking a bit of methylphenidate (Ritalin®) or amphetamine/dextroamphetamine (Adderall®); it's similar to taking a stimulant.

Second, over time, exercise helps build up the machinery to increase the amount of neurotransmitters in the brain as well as their postsynaptic receptors. Chronic exercise eventually causes growth of the system. The more fit that you are, the better the system works.

This excerpt from Medscape led me to Dr. Ratey's website and more about his book "Spark".

SPARK is a groundbreaking exploration of the connection between exercise and the brain’s performance that shows how even moderate exercise will supercharge mental circuits to beat stress, sharpen thinking, enhance memory, and much more.

There's no need to convince me of the benefits of exercise for balancing brain chemistry. When our bodies are out of balance so will our minds be out of balance. Some people need high intensity exercise more than others to get to equilibrium yet some people need exercise the brings them down. Either way, I can't see going the pharmeutical route for treating issues with brain chemistry without prescribing exercise along with pills. Doctor's like John Ratey will hopefully lead this revolution in medicine.

Suzanne's protein smoothie recipe

All too often, my clients tell me that they just can't stomach breakfast, that they're too rushed to eat breakfast or that they don't like typical breakfast foods.

Thank goodness for the invention of the blender and, subsequently, the smoothie. In the summer, it's my go to running out the door breakfast and a solution for busy moms and non-breakfast people.

Breakfast is so important because:
1) People who don't eat breakfast are likely to be overweight.
2) Breakfast is often a cure to night time over eating because you top load your day with calories instead of feeling like you didn't get enough calories during the day
3) It kick starts your metabolism first thing in the morning

I could easily rattle off 30 more reasons to eat breakfast but instead I will share Suzanne's protein smoothie recipe for you. She's a breakfast convert like you will be very soon.

And guess what, peaches are freakin' awesome right now.

1 cup of 1 percent or skim milk
1 scoop of flavourless protein powder
1tbsp almond butter
2 ice cubes
Half a fresh, ripe peach
Half a cup of strawberries

Blend. Poor. Drink. Yum!

If you want to lose body fat and be healthier, there is no way around it. You need to have a balanced breakfast. End of story.

Share your favourite protein smoothie recipe below!

Be good,
Jane

How Chocolate Can Help Your Workout

Before you get too excited, the researchers found that only half a small square of dark chocolate improved exercise performance.


For those who worry that fitness requires nutritional denial, there is good news, with caveats. Auspicious new science suggests that chocolate can have a surprisingly large effect on the body’s response to exercise, although not in the ways that many of us might expect, and certainly not at the dosages most might hope for.

Taken from New York Times Well Blog

I wanted to report on this study for next week's iVillage Column but, alas, it has saturated both print and digital media. James Fell over at Chatelaine.com also beat me to it. Here's an excerpt from his article. Check out his post.

My advice is to completely ignore studies like this and focus more on common-sense eating. If you want to lose weight, you need to, of course, exercise frequently and at high intensities. That’s a no-brainer. Another no-brainer is realizing that junk food like chocolate really is junk food, regardless of quirky little studies like this, and that it needs to become a rare treat in order to keep your caloric intake down.

Well said James!

So what this means for people with impulse control issues? I agree with James. Ignore this finding entirely. Don't buy a giant dark chocolate bar and mindlessly eat half of it kidding yourself that you're doing something healthy for you. Then you might even find yourself at a dinner party spreading inaccurate information about the benefits of dark chocolate for exercise.

If you can stop at half a square then gobble this information up. But the researchers warn:

And even for those who adore dark chocolate, there is a catch. “A very small amount is probably enough,” Dr. Villarreal said. Extrapolating from his group’s mouse data, he said, five grams of dark chocolate daily, or just a sixth of an ounce — about half of one square of a typical chocolate bar — is probably a reasonable human dose if your aim is to intensify the effects of a workout.

Sadly, “more is not better,” he continued. “More could lessen or even undo” any benefits, he said, by overloading the muscles’ receptors or otherwise skewing the body’s response.

Personally, I don't need exercise enhancement as a reason to eat chocolate. But like anything, I just don't overdo it or kid myself that something unhealthy I'm doing is actually good for me. True life long change starts with being honest with ourselves.