Saturday's Stretch/Flexibility: Targeting Tight Hips

Today's stretch routine comes from Tara Stiles and The Yoga Solution.  It consists of 5 moves that help open up, lengthen and stretch tight hips.

Remember, don't force any pose, go only as deeply as your body wants to go.  She is very flexible, I'd have a pillow or two handy in case you need them to modify.

On the lunge, you can place a towel or pillow under your knee if that's more comfortable.  Also, when grabbing that back foot, I suggest keeping your heel away from your bottom--instead push the foot into the hand.  This will protect your knee from being hyper flexed or over bent.

Pigeon pose is a great hip opener, but it can be intense for some people.  Feel free to put a pillow under your bottom or your front knee, or both for comfort.

For the last pose with the knees stacked, again feel free to sit on a pillow or blanket if that is more comfortable.

She only does one side.  Restart it and do the other side.

This would be ideal after a workout while your muscles are warm.  If you are doing it alone, do a warm up for a few minutes first--march in place, do some squats or jumping jacks, you never want to stretch cold muscles.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Friday's Facts and Findings -- What is the Paleo/Primal Diet all about?

First of all, welcome to post 202!  Can't believe I didn't realize I hit 200!  Thanks to all of you who actually read this blog!

In the last few Sunday recipe posts, I mentioned that I have begun following the Paleo/Primal way of eating (I don't like the word "diet").  It's really more a way of life.  So, what does this mean?

First of all, let me say, I'm not trying to "convert" anyone into this way of eating--it is a personal choice that I made.  I don't want to offend any of my friends, especially those who are vegetarians.  I am merely writing about my findings regarding this particular lifestyle.

So, here's a little bit of the background as to why I chose to do this.

I first heard of the Paleo diet from a friend of mine who's daughter and fiancee follow it.  They are both CrossFitters--he actually owns a gym (box) in southern Illinois--they are both instructors.  My first reaction--stemming from my health and fitness background was--"I don't believe in eliminating any food group, I believe in everything in moderation."  I was taught the way of Conventional Wisdom--like many of us--following the Nutritional Pyramid:  the majority of calories coming from whole grains, then vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, nuts and fats, like this:

Look Familiar?

and, for me, it worked.  I agreed that "white food" (foods made from refined flours and sugars) was bad and should be avoided, but every once in a while it was ok.  I believed that whole grains and legumes were healthy and fat was bad.  This is what I, along with the rest of America, was taught.

Those who know me well, know that I've been struggling with some thyroid issues.  The last three years have been hell for me, but I've had issues for 25 years now.  During the past three years, my thyroid has gone up and down like a seesaw due, first to my choice to have radioactive iodine therapy done (I'm now regretting some of this choice) and then working with some alternative medications to try to bring my now permanently hypothyroid up to some normal levels.   Finally, after some horrible side effects, I've got my numbers under control.  

While I was going through all of this, I felt pretty lousy most of the time.  I was either jumpy and shaky with a revving heart rate, or a lethargic bump on a log--not fun!  Well, after getting my numbers in the "normal" range, I did feel better, but was still having some symptoms.  I was still tired, I still couldn't lose the weight that I gained during my "hypo" phase, my digestive system was still not right.  Now, being a woman of 52, I've got some other issues going on, if you know what I mean ;)  So, some of these "symptoms" could also be caused by my friend called "perimenopause."  Guys, you don't know how easy you've got it!

Fast forward to now.  Since I've been writing this blog, I've researched a lot of topics to write about and I've read a lot of articles and blogs and watched a lot of videos regarding health and fitness.  This Paleo and Primal lifestyle kept coming up.  So, I decided to check it out.

It's really very simple, eat the way the cavemen ate.  No, that doesn't mean Mastodon and Saber-toothed Tiger meat!   It means eat like they did--what was naturally available to them as they hunted and gathered:  meat, fish, fowl, eggs, leafy greens, wild berries, nuts and such.  Things that could be eaten only by cooking over an open fire.  Scientists have shown that these people were lean and muscular and had good mortality rates.  This is the way the Paleo  and Primal Pyramids look:

Primal Pyramid

Paleo Pyramid

The basis of this way of life is the belief that the foods that have come along since the Agricultural era are what's killing us.  The processed foods made from grains (as well as the "whole" grains), legumes and such, as well as dairy and transfats that make up much of the American diet is the problem.  These foods have a huge impact on our blood sugar, cholesterol levels, inflammation levels, and our digestive systems, just to name a few.  

From The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Paleo:

"There have been some major health declines since agriculture took hold of humanity, including:

  - Decreased average height

  - Increased dental cavities and gum disease

  - Increased cancer rates

  - Increased osteoporosis and arthritis

  - Increased body fat/decreased muscle

  - Skyrocketing type 2 diabetes rates

  - More heart disease

  - Iron-deficient anemia

  - Widespread nutrient deficiencies"

This is not a low-carbohydrate diet.  Yes, you eat less than the conventional diet (10-40% vs 52%), how much depends on your activity level, the more active you are, the more carbs you may eat.  If you want to lose weight and fat and gain muscle you'll eat less.  It's really too much to go into detail here.  A lot of people are following a gluten-free diet and are feeling better, this takes it a step further by eliminating all grains and legumes.

The most important thing to focus on is the negative effect these foods have on your blood sugar and insulin levels.  Just remember this:  carbohydrate controls insulin and insulin controls fat storage.  Carbs are used for fuel, and when that fuel isn't used, it is stored as fat in the body.

You may ask, "What about the whole calories in, calories burned philosophy?"  Yes, it's true, if you consume less calories than you use or burn, you will lose "weight", but this "weight" might be water or muscle, not necessarily fat, depending on what you are eating and how it is being used.

Protein is essential for building and repairing body tissues and for overall healthy function.  You need protein to maintain your healthy body composition.  Protein helps build muscle, by eating more protein and less carbs, you will lose fat and gain muscle.

Saturated fat is also getting a bad rap.  It is now proven that eating saturated fat does not have anything to do with your serum cholesterol levels.  A quote from Ancel Keys (aka "Monsieur Cholesterol") who was partly responsible for starting the cholesterol myths of the early 1900s, "It is now clear that dietary cholesterol per se, which is contained in almost all foods of animal origin, has little or no effect on the serum cholesterol concentration of man."  Again, it's the processed carbs and hydrogenated fats that are the culprits.

 Unfortunately, some of the so called "healthy" oils are also causing problems.  Oils made from legumes and grains contain high omega-6 fatty acid content that can increase chronic inflammation.  Omega-3s and Omega-6s are both necessary for our bodies, but we don't make them ourselves, so we have to get them from food.  The big difference is that omega-3's decrease inflammation. Chronic inflammation contributes to things like achy joints, obesity, asthma, IBS, diabetes and heart disease.

We need a healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3, somewhere between 1:1 and 4:1.  The current ratio in the typical Western diet is anywhere from 20:1 to 45:1--because of vegetable oils and grains.  Funny, these oils aren't even made from vegetables--they are made from things like cottonseed, canola, soybeans and corn (corn is a grain not a vegetable).  Plus, these oils are usually chemically treated and stripped of almost all of their nutrients.  They are empty calories, just like refined flours and sugars. 

So what oils/fats can you eat?  Avocado oil, coconut oil, coconut milk (full fat in the can), flaxseed oil, hazelnut oil, lard, macadamia oil, olive oil, sesame oil, tallow, unrefined palm oil, walnut oil and the fats natural occurring in grass fed and organic animals and fowl.  If a fat or oil has the word "hydrogenated" in it--do NOT eat it.  These are the transfats that cause all kinds of problems.

So here's what a typical American's plate is supposed to look like:

and here's a Paleo plate:

or, even simplier:

I know plenty of unhealthy skinny people and healthy heavier people.  A lot of this stems from body composition--fat to lean muscle ratios.  A person could weigh 100 pounds but still have a high percent of body fat if they don't have any lean muscle on their frame.  Michael Jordan in his prime would have been considered morbidly obese based on this height and weight alone--c'mon the dude was at like 7% body fat--another reason to throw away that scale!

Ok, I know this post is getting lengthy.  I decided to try this for two main reasons:  my ongoing battle with digestive issues and fatigue--I figure the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) philosophy of this made sense--eat foods in their most purest forms, secondly, I do want to lose fat and gain muscle.  Following the conventional way of eating and exercising regularly have kept me in a good weight range, but my body fat percentage is still not where it should be.  

I gave up eating most "white" food a while ago, but I have to admit that not having any traditional bread, pasta or rice has been tough.  Luckily, I have found some great websites that have recipes for every kind of food I feel I'm "missing".  I wouldn't consider myself strict Paleo--I'm actually more Primal, it's like being a vegetarian, but not a vegan--I still drink low carb beer and I eat some dairy--mainly cheese--once in a while.  I follow about an 85/15% plan.

Exercise is also looked at differently in the Paleo lifestyle.  I will blog about this next week.

In the meantime, if you are interested in learning more, here are a couple of websites:  Mark's Daily Apple and The Food Lover's Kitchen

The above websites also have some great recipes.  Here's a couple more:  Civilized Caveman Cooking and PaleOMG

Fitness Tip of the Day: Thursday's Total Body/Cardio -- Biggest Loser -- Bob's turn

Last Thursday I posted a Biggest Loser video that featured Jillian Michaels.  Today's total body/cardio workout features Bob Harper.

As I stated last week, I don't necessarily agree with the training methods of the show.  I don't think any trainer should be happy that they made their student throw up.  I don't believe in working out for 6 hours a day--who has time for that?  Weight loss numbers of 10, 20 and 30 lbs. per week aren't normal, so if you are new to exercise and watching what you eat, don't expect them.  Weight loss of 1/2 lb to maybe 5 lbs. (if you've got a lot of weight to lose) is more realistic.  For these people, for however months they are "on the ranch", weight loss is really like a full-time job for them.  It's totally unrealistic in the real world--why it's called "reality" TV, I don't really know.....

Anyhow, the workout videos that the show has produced are actually good.  They can work for all levels, whether you are beginner or not.  If you need modifications, there are always people showing them.  If you want it revved up, there are people performing at higher intensities as well.

A good warm up and cool down are included.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Wednesday's Wild/Warrior Workout -- Sandbag Training

Have you ever considered running an obstacle course?  I can't say that I have.  They are becoming more and more popular--one, called the "Tough Mudder" actually has you doing the whole course in the mud...sounds like fun?!

Anyway, today's video from Psychetruth uses a "sandbag" to help train for this kind of race.  Now, you don't need a sandbag, or to be signed up for an obstacle course to do this workout.  In place of a sandbag, just fill a duffle bag with some books, magazines or something that's not super hard to make it about 15-20 lbs. Sandbag exercises are very popular in CrossFit and Boot Camp training.

The uneven weight of the bag with all the stuff inside shifting around a bit makes it more challenging for your muscles to control.  It's important to work your muscles differently.  Always doing the same thing will cause your muscle strength and endurance to "plateau" just like weight loss can.  I think this is a great idea and one I can cheaply incorporate into my training sessions.

There is no warm up, so please do one first.  This could be done more than the 2 times she does it as a HIIT workout, just add some additional rest period in between each exercise.

A couple of form cues:  Again, when doing squats, do not let your bottom drop below your knees, keep your thighs parallel to the floor.

Do not lift your feet off the ground when doing sit ups.  When you do this, instead of using your core you are using momentum.   If this bothers your back, try doing it without holding the bag--once you come to sitting up, pick the bag up and slam it down. If it still bothers your back, only come up part way 10 times and then sit up and slam the bag 10 times, doing the moves separate from one another.

When doing the burpees, as you lift the bag overhead, keep your arms a little bit to the front.  Don't take your arms past your ears.

There is no cool down or stretch either--walk around a bit until your heart rate comes down and do a full body stretch after--especially if you've done it more than twice.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Tuesday's Trunk and Core -- Ab Power Workout -- Hard Core Training

It's Tuesday!  Time for some core work!  Some of the exercises in this workout may not seem like core exercises to you. We tend to think of crunches and planks when we do this kind of muscle work, but once you try doing squats and lunges while holding a weight overhead, your core will be saying, "Oh yeah, I'm feeling it!"

This workout is from Befit's 30 day 6 pack abs.  Once again, sculpted abs are more than just core exercises, they are about healthy eating and cardiovascular work as well.

As far as form goes, I agree with her, faster is NOT better.  Slow and controlled is always better when doing core work.  He goes a bit fast on some of the exercises.

On the lunges and squats, don't take your knees past 90 degrees and keep them in line with your ankles.  Don't drop your bottom lower than your knees--you want your thighs parallel to the floor.  Bending more than this is really hard on your knees and the benefits just don't outweigh the risks as far as I'm concerned.

As usual, do a warm up first and a lower body stretch afterward.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Monday's Muscle Work -- Butt Workout 3 -- Firm Extreme

Today's workout focuses on your lower body.  It is from the 30 Day Butt Lift series from BeFit.

This workout is called Firm Extreme.  You will need a sturdy chair to do this workout.  Make sure you always keep your knees in line with your ankles and sit back into your heels while doing any kind of squat-type of movement

No warm up is provided, please do one on your own.  

Want more?  Here's a bonus challenge for you.

Whether you do the challenge or not, make sure to stretch your lower body when you are finished.

Fitness Tip of the Day: Sunday's Recipe Share -- Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I've decided to try to eliminate grain flours from my diet.  I've got a long history with gastrointestinal issues (don't worry, that's all the info I'm giving) and I'm reading more and more that not just wheat, but all grains can wreak havoc on your digestive system if you are sensitive to them.  Oh, yeah I've also eliminated cane sugar.

I thought sadly that my bread eating days were over, but, as I posted earlier, I've been exploring the Paleo and Primal way of eating...again, I'll post more on this later.  In my exploration, I've come across all types of recipes for grain-free breads.

When I saw this recipe for Chocolate Zucchini Bread from PaleOMG, I knew I had to try it.

Here's the end result.

They actually came out pretty good--it's definitely a recipe I'll keep.  It is not a super sweet bread (there's only 1/3 cup of honey).  It makes a great snack or addition to my smoothie or egg at breakfast.

I think next time I'm going to experiment and sub out some of the sunbutter (I made my own from roasted sunflower seeds--super easy in a food processor) for mashed banana and maybe add in 1/2 c. of dark chocolate chips (they are allowed because they don't have much sweetener and the antioxidants in the dark chocolate are worth it) this should sweeten it up a bit more--I might try making it into muffins as well.

Here's a link to the original recipe:  Moist Chocolate Zucchini Bread (nut free)