Junk Food Vegan

I was talking with a lady named Karen today, and the subject clean eating came up. Karen mentioned that she has a friend who is vegan. The interesting thing that Karen talked about was how her friend has a pantry full of vegan and gluten free junk food! Karen, who is not vegan, does not eat junk food. I reflected on this because I have some personal training clients who are vegan, yet they struggle with weight loss.  As a personal trainer, I am elated to find out that my clients are vegan, because when trying to lose weight, diet is approximately 80% of the health and fitness equation, and vegans don’t have the added burden of meat and dairy in their diets. Unfortunately, these same clients are not losing body fat the way they should. Naturally, I have to wonder if these same clients are eating vegan junk foods like French fries, breads, pastas, cookies, chips, cereals, and processed foods. People, pay attention! Whether you are vegan or not, you must eat clean whole foods! The only place for "junk" anything is in the garbage. In order to lose the weight, you cannot regularly eat sugary or processed foods. If you’re eating a vegan meat substitute, it is processed in order to taste like meat, which means the nutritional value is probably diminished. Don’t just say you are vegan because it sounds cool. Do your research! Eat clean whole unprocessed plant-bashed foods!

National Women's Health Week May 13 - 19, 2018

May 13 - May 19, 2018 is National Women's Health Week, so ladies, we get to put ourselves first for a change! It is fitting that May 13th was Mother's Day, so our children, family members and friends treated us like queens for a day. But don't let it end there. Let me remind you that in order to take care of your families or be there for your friend, you must first take care of yourself.

Prevention: Annual check-ups with your healthcare providers is important.  I'm at an age where on an annual basis, I have to have the following:  an eye examination, a pelvic exam and pap smear, a breast exam and mammogram, a physical exam with urinalysis and blood work, and have my teeth cleaned. It's never fun, and if you are like me with dense breast, you may have the scare of your life when the radiologist sees something on the mammogram. So far, in my case, it has not been serious, but I hold my breath each time waiting for the results. Even if the "something" turns out to be serious, I would rather catch it sooner than too late. Prevention is the best treatment.

Nutrition:  Proper nutrition is a must if we want healthy bodies! I know some of you think that it is too expensive to eat proper, but I also know mothers who spend $300 - $500 per month for their children to take dance lessons! I promise you, proper nutrition does not cost that much per month. The best tip is to simply eat more of the good stuff - lean meats, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and beans, and eat less or none of the bad stuff - fatty meats, ice cream, sodas, cookies, bagels, and processed foods. Also, drink water throughout the day; keep it on your desk, in your bag, and in your view so you don't forget to drink it.

Exercise:  If you have a gym membership, use it! If you don't have a membership, get one, or start walking and moving! You have to make physical activity part of your daily routine. Strive for at least five hours of exercise per week for optimal health benefits, and make sure at least two hours include strength or resistance training. Cardio training three days a week such as jogging, Zumba or WERQ at Brickhouse Fitness, and strength training two days a week such as push-ups, squats, or Kettlebell AMPD and A To Z Toning at Brickhouse Fitness gives you a balanced weekly exercise routine.

Use this week to put yourself first - you are worth it! Schedule your healthcare appointments for preventive measures. Incorporate a healthy eating plan. I recommend you keep it simple; find a few healthy recipes that are simple and quick to make and just rotate those recipes throughout the week. If you have trouble eating lots of vegetables and fruit, hide them in a breakfast or lunch smoothie, or make an omelette and add vegetables. Get your gym membership if you don't already have one, and then go to the classes. Find some workout buddies to keep you motivated. If you can't afford a gym membership, start walking everyday.

Tony Robbins' OPA System for Reaching Goals

Fall is a great time of the year to refresh; start anew, or set and reach new goals. I listened to a Tony Robbins webinar about his OPA (Outcome, Purpose and Action) system for achieving results. I thought about how this system can apply to any goal including health and fitness. We usually know what our goals (outcome) are when we join a gym, whether it is losing 20 pounds of body fat, or losing inches off our midsection, or following doctor's orders. It is also important to know why (the purpose). When we have a clear idea of our goals and why, we then need to know how (action). What steps are we going to take to reach the outcome we desire? I have written a few OPAs for you as a guideline, but take a few minutes to write down your own.

Flat Stomach and Sixpack Abs

Hello 2017! Is this the year for you to achieve those sixpack abs? With the start of the new year, I have seen so many magazine articles, ads, videos, pins, and posts about the best exercises to get six-pack abs, or how to get a flatter stomach in X number of days. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are absolutely no exercises that will target belly fat! You can do 100 sit-ups or crunches a day, or plank for five minutes, or complete a circuit of 10 abdominal exercise in 20 minutes, but the bottom line is these exercises will target the abdominal muscles, and not the layer of fat on top of the muscles. Yes, you should exercise to strengthen your muscles and define them, but that's not all you should do.

If you want a flatter stomach, and you want to be able to see the abdominal muscles, there is only one solution, and that is changing the way you eat. I am not talking about dieting, because dieting is temporary, and once you stop dieting, the belly fat will come back. I would much rather you stick to a clean eating way of life because that is sustainable. Be mindful that there are so many views on clean eating that trying to figure it out, can be stressful. Some people advocate vegetarian eating, or low carb diets, or paleo diets, etc. The easiest way to understand clean eating is to stick to eating whole foods that  you like and staying away from processed and refined foods. Clean eating means eating lean animal protein or plant based protein; eating unprocessed carbohydrates such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes, seeds and nuts; eating healthy fats, such as coconut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds, and drinking a lot of water (half your body weight in ounces). There are definitely foods you should limit or avoid for a flat stomach. These foods include dairy products, too much alcohol, too much red meat, deli meats, and artificial sweeteners. Just think about how food is found in nature, and then prepare or cook it the way you like as long as you are not frying it. Think grilled chicken breasts, steamed broccoli, raw carrots, seared asparagus, baked fish, etc. I follow the Plate by Zumba™ meal program, and to ensure that I am getting enough vitamins and minerals, I have a meal replacement protein Zumba Shake every day. My personal training clients also use it, and have seen excellent results with losing belly fat. Do not be misled; it is not easy to change the way you eat overnight, but it can be done with proper planning and meal prep. Every month I start a 21-day Plate by Zumba™ and Zumba Shake Challenge, and the first week is usually the most difficult mainly because your food is different, and you are still figuring out what is safe to eat. However, after 21 days everyone who sticks to the plan loses five to 12 pounds and see a much flatter stomach. Check out my client, AJ Jones who participated in my January 2017 challenge. 

Low Carb, Low Fat, or Low Calories?

As a personal trainer and fitness instructor, I hear women say all the time that they are trying a low-carbohydrates diet, a low-fat diet, or a low calorie diet. What is the solution for losing weight and keeping it off? Here are some facts that I learned from the Plate By Zumba Course and from my textbook, "Personal Fitness Training: Theory & Practice" by Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA).

We need Carbohydrates (aka Carbs), which are our main source of energy for fueling metabolism (burning fat). When we consume carbs, the end product is glucose, which is the only source of energy for the brain! The bottom line is we need carbs. What we do NOT need are simple carbs (sugar, high fructose corn syrup, sodas, flavored drinks, cake, donuts, pizza, potato chips, white rice, white bread, bagels, beer, french fried, white pastas, mashed potatoes, etc.) The reason we do not need these foods, is because there is very little fiber, vitamins, and minerals. A large amount of these foods in our diets may lead to belly fat, insulin resistance, and ultimately, diabetes and obesity. On the other hand, nature made, slow-absorbing complex carbs, such as broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes, whole grain breads, beans, and fruits, are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber - important for keeping us regular, and may help prevent colon cancer. According to Mark Hyman, M.D., one of the creators of Plate by Zumba, carbohydrates are the single most important foods to eat for long-term weight loss and good health.

We also need Fat in our nutrition program. Hello, 60% of our brain is Omega-3 fat, so yes, we need fat! When you cook your vegetables, don't they taste better with added fat? Don't get me wrong; this is not an excuse to add bacon, ham hocks or fat back! Yes, fat adds flavor to our food, and is necessary for producing energy, protecting our internal organs, keeping us warm. However, fat is twice as fattening as proteins and carbs. In fact, for ever gram of fat, you get nine calories from fat! Just imagine, one tablespoon of oil equals 120 calories from fat! The problem with most diets is in the type of fats we choose to use. Saturated fats such as butter, cheese, and lard, come from animals. Well, let's face it, no one uses lard anymore, but we now have margarine, and vegetable oils, which become saturated when they are hydrogenated to make them solid at room temperature. Step away from these types of fat! Go for monounsaturated fats like olive oil, avocado oil, peanut oil. You can also have polyunsaturated oils from fish (omega-3 fish oil), and fat from seeds, nuts and avocado.

What about low calories? I talked about calories in an earlier blog, but here is the skinny on calories. Simply put, your body does not look for calories; your body looks for nutrients! There are macronutrients (from carbs, proteins and fats), and there are micronutrients. Micronutrients regulate weight and metabolism, and the chemical reactions in the body such as burning fat. Except for Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D, micronutrients come from plants. The B Vitamins run cellular metabolism, help nerves function, breakdown foods, help with hormone production, burn calories, create energy, and boost dopamine and serotonin (the body's happy chemicals). Another micronutrient is magnesium, which is the relaxation mineral and helps regulate blood sugar. Again, these micronutrients come from plants, which means that vegetables should make up 50 to 70% of your diet! Another 25% should come from protein. Powering up on protein, especially after working out, is the secret to cutting cravings of the simple carbs. Proteins also help balance blood sugars, which leads to weight loss. I tell my clients to have four to six ounces of protein with every meal (even when snacking). Protein is made up of amino acids, and essential amino acids can only come from food. Your body cannot store protein, so you must get it from food, but make sure it is good quality protein. Too much protein can cause heart disease and even kidney failure. What are good sources? Wild caught fish - salmon, mackeral, herring, shrimp, scallops, high quality beef, lean chicken, turkey, eggs, beans, legumes, and seeds. These foods are considered "clean" foods, so eat clean, jog, run, walk, participate in cardio workouts, and do weight or resistance training, and be patient. It takes time to get your body in shape, but it is worth it.

30-Day Arms, Abs & ASSets Challenge

Today, I started a 30-day challenge for arms, abs and ASSets (glutes/buttocks). I hope you will participate. As you will see, the exercises get progressively harder only because we increase the number of repetitions, and during the second week, we add the bridge exercise to tighten and tone the glutes (buttocks). The challenge is doable regardless of the fitness level, so please join in. I recommend that you use 3 to 10 pound dumbbells for the biceps curls, and that you use a chair for the triceps dips. You can always use two of any household items as long as they weigh the same (two canned goods, two bottles of water, etc.), and the dips may be done on the floor. I've recorded myself doing Day 1 on Periscope (@BrickhouseRosa, and will continue to do so every morning at 8:00 a.m. The recordings will be available for playback up to 24 hours. Take a before picture to track your progress and let me know if you participate via my Facebook page, Coach Rosa Seward, and comment every day.

Five Tips to Spring Into Summer

Spring is quickly turning into summer, and you want to get ready. Here are five tips to help make your summer a healthy one:

1.  Stay active if you already are, and get active if you are not yet active. As the weather gets warmer, you may be tempted to go walking more, but you need consistent moderate to intense physical activity at least least three days per week for 30 to 60 minutes. As the owner of Brickhouse Cardio Club in Stafford, Virginia, I recommend that you find classes to attend. Fitness classes will bring your heart rate up to a fat-burning level, and will help you improve your overall cardiovascular health.

2. Make healthy food choices. With summer approaching, there is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables from which to choose. My favorite place to shop during the summer is the local farmer's market (in Stafford, VA, the farmer's market is located in the parking lot behind Stafford Hospital). You will be able to find the best locally produced vegetables, fruits, honey, eggs, etc. in the peak of freshness. Of course, if you cannot find a farmer's market, shop for fresh foods at your local grocery store. Just try to remember to shop around the perimeter and not down the aisles where all of the processed foods are located. When fresh is not available, the next best option should be frozen foods. I never recommend canned vegetables unless you rinse the preserving liquid from the veggies before your heat them.

3. Drink more water! Staying hydrated throughout the day will help you regulate your body temperature during hot weather. Drinking a glass of water before meals will also prevent you from overeating because you will feel fuller faster. Be sure to always drink water while you are working out and afterwards to replace the fluids that you hopefully sweated out during your workout.

4. Get plenty of sleep! Although the days are going to get longer, set your bedtime so that you can get at least eight hours of sleep. Sleeping and resting are important components of healthy living. Your body needs time to recover and repair, especially if you are very active during the day. Get into the routine of shutting off your electronics, turning off your notifications, covering your clock displays, etc. to make your bedroom quiet and dark. Women especially have a hard time shutting off their brains, so do whatever you need to eliminate any distractions.

5. Cut back on alcoholic beverages. This is harder said than done for me, because I love having a glass of wine with my dinner, and one afterwards just to unwind. Alcoholic beverages are loaded with sugary calories. Wine has less calories than most liquors, and most people mix liquors with soda or sugary juices, making them even worse for your health. Limit your alcoholic beverages and when you make cocktails, use club soda, or sparkling water instead of soda or juice. Whatever your drink of choice, check the number of calories and decide whether it is worth it to have while trying to stay or get healthy.