July 10...Quick-Fit Facts

Quick-Fit Facts

1.  You would need to drink a quart of milk every day for three to four months to drink as much blood as your heart pumps in one hour.

2.  Your heart is about the size of your fist and weighs about as much as a softball.

3. In the course of a lifetime, the resting heart will have pumped enough blood to fill 13 supertankers.

4. The pink under your fingernails is the blood in your capillaries.

5. Your heart is the strongest muscle of your body and beats about 100,000 times in one day, in an average adult.

6. We need light in order to see.  Animals that live in deep caves or in the great depths of the ocean where there is no light are often blind or have no eyes at all.

7.  A person breathes 7 quarts of air every minute.

8. Almost half the human body's weight is made from one of three types of muscle tissue.

9.  The human nervous system can relay messages to the brain at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour.  Your brain receives 100 million nerve messages each second from your senses.

10.  In one day, some 4000 children and teenagers take up smoking.

11.  Underwater swimming is the only time you should hold your breathe while exercising.

12.  Your brain weight about 3 pounds, is a pinkish gray color and is about the size of a cauliflower.

13. Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end.

14.  The three bones of the middle ear are so small all three could easily fit on your thumbnail.

15. If all 600 muscles in your body pulled in one direction, you could lift 25 tons.

16.  If the 300,000,000 tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs could be laid out flat, they would cover a home swimming pool.

17. Tongue prints are as unique as fingerprints.

18. If you weight 100 pounds on earth, you will weigh about 264 pounds on Jupiter.

19.  There are 206 bones in the human body.  One fourth of them are in your feet.

20.  The human body has 45 miles of nerves.

July 9th...Summer leg workout!

So excited today because...to day I'm going to start adding work outs to my Blog!  I thought this would be a great idea for those of you who don't live in the Victoria area and can't train with me directly.  I've created a shorter version of what we do in my Boot Camp classes.  Everything from warm ups, to the "circle of love" question, and any health and fitness topics we cover, I will included those in the video as well.  So, hope can you join us, add your comments at the bottom or Face Book me, love to hear from you!  I've also included a great tasting, low calorie snack, so you can get your work out ON! and then have a fast and easy meal for after...cause you'll be hungry!

Circuit 1 *Front lunge w.side squat with a over-head press into reverse lung.6 per side.*4 side walking planks with 2 push ups, repeat in other direction, counts as 1, do 3x.*Side to side lunges with floor tap 10sec.work/5 sec.rest x4
*Abs full sit up with oblique twist at top, opp. knees comes up to opp. elbow, alternate 10 reps(10 per side).Complete circuit 2x, then move to next.
Circuit 2*Lateral hops x8 / 8 single leg squats, tap floor opp. hand to toe,then reach up, REPEAT other leg / 5 decline push ups. Complete circuit 2x.
If you want to take it up a notch, increase your weight but don't sacrifice form and do 3 sets instead of 2.

 OK here is my twist on a lettuce wrap instead of using bread! All these ingredients makes 2 wraps.  So start with 2 tbsp of your fav. dressing, 1 cup cooked chicken, shrerred carrots and cucumber, and you will need 2 iceberg lettuce pieces...good luck with peeling those!

 So lye the lettuce piece out flat like a wrap, add your fillings...

 that's my "stunt" tooth pick holding it the wrap together...get it, like a stunt man...

and there you go! OK so the first one I made, did actually look like a wrap, but of course when I went back to make these for the Blog...my lettuce piece's didn't quite do as they were suppose to.  Anyhow enjoy!

July 6th...fun family snacks!

Good morning, on this awesome sunny day!  So on Wednesday I talked about our inner "Were-Wolf" that comes out in the evening, looking for salt and sugar!  One of my brilliant followers, my Sista-in-law Lara, shared her idea of how she controls the "munchies"...here's what she had to say, " We eat  around 6pm (because my kids are crazy I don't eat with them but put out dip and veggies). I sit with them and eat that.  The reason it's O.K. for me to eat late is because it's healthy.  So eating later, works for me especially because it's all veggies and protein. With no less than 5 veggies in every meal. Main ones include G.O.M.B.  Greens (spinach) I add to every meal. Onions at least half, mushrooms in everything and berries. I save berries for breakfast.  The other secret for me spicy. Everything is spicy. I find that I don't crave anything else for that reason.  I also find alternative snacks. Making brownies with just dates is awesome with no flour or sugar.  Go to my fav website" www.spoonfulofsugarfree.com.  I thought this was such a great idea, thanks Lara!

 Well if you want to get the family on board with vegetables, make it fun! And   since my Sister-in-Law starts her studies for becoming a Personal Trainer, BOO YAH!...she'll need to know all the bones in the body.  So you can snack and learn at the same time!

July 4th...attack late night snacking!

OK, so many of you have told me lately that you are frustrated because you eat healthy all day long and then the clock strikes 8pm and you all turn into hungry werewolves!  Your cravings have taken over your brain and you are eating anything and everything covered in chocolate or salt.

The fitness/health industry has long told us not to eat anything after dinner, especially carbs...but the thing is, our lifestyles have change over the last 10-20 years, we don't work 9-5 anymore, and we work out whenever we can, including at night.  So our eating habits have to fit our OWN lifestyle.  One good rule is to make sure your last meal is finished at least an hour before bed so that you digest your food...other wise you'll be up all night with an uncomfortable full feeling in your belly.  Unless you are my husband who has an iron gut, eat anything, anywhere, anytime!  First figure out if your hungry or board, drink a glass of water, and wait 5 minutes.  Choose snacks that are under 250 calories, and easily digested.  Here are some ideas...

Strawberry shake Blend kefir (it's like a liquid yogurt), strawberries, and a teaspoon of honey for a refreshing protein shake that's also chock-full of digestion-enhancing probiotics.

Multigrain pretzels Whether in stick or twist form, pretzels are a surprisingly good alternative to chips. One ounce—about a handful—boasts just over 100 calories. To add some metabolism-revving protein, dunk 'em in yogurt.

Popcorn Choose 100-calorie packs of 94% fat-free microwave popcorn. Or air-pop your own. Skip the butter. Instead, raid your spice cabinet: Use lime powder for tang, cayenne pepper for heat, or a dash of cinnamon for sweetness.

Greek yogurt "It's high protein low in sugar, and can really fill you up," Villacorta says. For more flavor, mix in your own fruit, like sliced papaya.

Frozen blueberries A cup of the fruit is packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and more than 4 grams of fiber. For a richer snack, top them with a little light whipping cream.

Crackers For a nutty snack, try Ak-mak crackers (made of stone-ground sesame seeds), multigrain Wasa crackers, or low-fat rye mini toasts. Spread on some hummus or light cheese, or eat with a small slice of lean lunch meat.

July 3rd...Michelle vs Box Jump!

Today was the perfect example about what I was talking about in yesterdays Blog...goal setting!  Once a month at my gym, I have all my clients set a goal/exercise to conquer!  Today was Michelle's lucky day...her vs. the Box Jump.  OK so you can see the look on Michelle's face, she's not looking impressed because I asked her to this after tonight's Boot Camp  class.  She was like "what" and I was like "your doing it!"

 So I gave her a few "choice words" to get her going...

 I know one part of her brain is saying, "WTF, Mel is nuts!" and the other is, "OK lets do this!"

 I told her she had to "OWN IT!"...be aggressive, take the Box Jump down!

 Michelle is ready set to go!

 Ahhhh I'm yelling from the gym, so close!

 OK so were on a roll, I give her a breather after 10 attempts or more...I don't want her to get it in her head that she can't do it...once that fear sets in, it's hard to go back.

 So we set up for an assist jump, she can do it and clears the top!

I get out of the way, yell at her a lot...positive things of course, and Michelle gives it her all!  Again, so close...just that darn right toe, is not ready to step up!  The best part of this night was after all this, Michelle was like, I'm gonna do it again tomorrow night, I will conquer this Box Jump!  And she will because of her attitude.  What the mind can conceive, the body will achieve.  Awesome work tonight Michelle, YOU ROCK!

June 2nd...mind mapping your goals!

So I'm sitting here looking out the kitchen window thinking about what I want to accomplish for the month of July...if you know me well, I'm a VERY goal oriented person.  This is how I roll, plain and simple.  Most days I have a million ideas swirling through my head, once in a while I pull one down, chew on it for a bit, and either put it back or put pen to paper and figure out how I'm going to get to the end result...the goal.  I'm a big fan of mind mapping. Put your goal in the center of the page with a circle around it, then start writing down all the ways you need to get to that goal.  Be specific.  Include all your obstacles and a list of how you will get around these.  Basically, your connecting the dots to your goal.  Once you see it layed out in front of you, it doesn't seem that overwhelming anymore.  You have just made, a step by step plan for your success.  In doing this, you are more likely to stick with it and achieve YOUR goal.  

If you had goals in the past that you didn't quite finish, take a moment and ask your self WHY you didn't finish these goals.  I say this, so that you can understand what truly motivates you. Some goals are other peoples ideas, therefore, you are not truly invested in it. In order for you to be successful at achieving YOUR goal, you have to want it deep down side.  You have to be willing to give up whatever it takes to get there and be willing to say no when others what to hear a yes.  Every once in a while, we have to put ourselves first and those around us that believe in us will support this.  Others, who cannot believe in themselves, will not be able to believe in you.  So draw out your path and set your mind, because when you put out positive energy, you get back MORE positive energy...so let your inner light shine bright!

July 1st...Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day everyone!  Well, the sun is trying it's best to come out and warm us all up here in Victoria.  I hope to head up Island, to spend time with friends today and tomorrow, so sun...get to work!  I've been absent on my Blog the last couple of days, because I've just been so tired.  I forgot how much doing and event like Tough Mudder, takes from my body.  This morning has been the first morning I jumped out of bed, ready to go.  I've been napping all week.  Yesterday, I napped for 2 hours in the afternoon, then had a "pre-nap" as my husband called it, before bed!  I had a great talk with my fellow Mudder, Alison yesterday about how the race impacted us...no I don't mean the bumps and bruises, but how it started a fire inside us.  During the race we were raging with energy, when I look back I don't remember any particular hard parts.  I KNOW there was some crazy obstacles and a major mountain climb...but somehow my brain is registering it all as fun, and exciting!  I think as we came to each obstacle, we just got each other fired up!  There was "no try, just do"...Yoda.  I think getting out of your comfort zone whatever that might be for you, ignites a fire inside of you, that just keeps growing. The more you challenge your self, the bigger that fire becomes.  It's your attitude that keeps the fire alive...so next time you think you can't do something, check yourself...try saying, " yes I can do that," sit in it for a moment and open your mind to the possibilities!