Making an Investment in Your Health, Part 2-NUTRITION

I can attest that I could workout 7 days a week, 2 hours a day and still have a belly on me. That is because that exercise is only half the battle. Proper nutrition is the other half to this equation to invest in your health.

Yes. I have stated in the past that "I wish I could eat healthier but I just can't afford it". Nowadays you can actually SAVE money by eating healthier. Bulk food chains like Walmart, CostCo and Sams Club are starting to carry healthier foods like Quinoa and Flax Seed. They also have a nice selection of fruits and vegetables, many which are organic.

I also would like to say that PREPARATION is probably the best thing you can do to help you to make proper choices. Some tips for you from what has worked best for me.

WE WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT ALL OF THIS SEEMS LIKE IT IS A HUGE COMMITMENT OF TIME. But in all reality, if you get it done in one day or a 1-2 hour block for 2 days then you really don't have to worry about preparing meals each night for dinner/supper and for the following day for breakfast and lunch. The work is practically all done for you. You have more time at night to do other things. Again, remember you are making an investment in your health.

1. TAKE OUT THE TRASH. Get rid of all the crap around the house that will allow you to make a poor choice. If we have chocolate and marshmallows in the cabinet, then that will be one of the first things we grab when we are hungry instead of something healthy.

2. GO ON A SHOPPING SPREE!!! Nikki and I usually hit about 2-3 different grocery stores to get all the things we need. We usually spend 1-2 hours getting it all but it is very beneficial for us. For example: We start out at costo for our veggies, eggs, milk, cottage cheese, nuts, flax seed, quinoa, and turkey burger. (Best price for our buck and healthy as well). Next it is off to walmart or harris teeter to pick up any remaining veggies that we would like to have but not in bulk. Finally we head to whole foods for canned pumpkin and flatbread (actually their "365" generic brand is very good and cheap!), usually we tend to go on a sample Saturday so we can treat ourselves to some treats!

3. PREPARE YOU MEALS AHEAD OF TIME. Before we go shopping we try to think of what our schedules are like and what type of meals we would like to have for the week. Then make a list and stick to it. Then sometime during the weekend we prep all our meals ahead of time and put them in containers so that all we have to do is grab and go when we need to pack our lunches and dinners for the week. In all actuality it is a great opportunity for you to get some "family time" everyone can have an assignment or meal to work on. I enjoy that time I get with Nikki and we both feel very accomplished afterwards.

4. VEGGIE AND LEAN PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL. Enough said.

5. EARN YOUR CARBS. Try to avoid processed carbs as much as possible, the body has the hardest times breaking this stuff down. Now, Nikki and I don't always stick to this rule 100% but if we are planning to have waffles on Sunday morning for fun we earn them. We have a workout before we have a processed carb or heavy carb meal and always throw a veggie/fruit and a protein with it. The body will use those carbs to your advantage after a good workout.

Making an Investment in your Health, Part 1-Fitness

Everyone is concerned now a days (as they should) about money. Actually even more now than usual. We worry about this week, next paycheck and our future. We think of what is the proper way to invest in our futures for our dreams and retirement.

Did anyone ever think about making an investment in your and your families health? I have many patients/clients that I work with now who wish that they did just that. Made the proper investment in their health before it was too late. Before they became overweight from a poor diet and not exercising, before their bodies began to make compensations for this excess weight and poor movement, before their bodies began to break down structurally due to the excess stress on certain joints and not enough stress on the other joints. Now they are recovering from a total joint surgery and have a huge uphill battle to get themselves back to health. If you think about it, those people may have saved more earlier by not investing in their health, but now they have all these health problems and insurance bills to boot. They end up losing money! To make matters much worse they will never totally get back what they have lost. The damage has already been done. Their health may deteriorate due to not taking time and spending some money towards themselves and their health.

In all actuality many studies have shown that many of the cancers today can be PREVENTED by a proper diet and exercise. So I see all these people that have made changes because now they have to so they can try to lead a somewhat normal life.

MAKE A TRUE INVESTMENT that will totally give you the types of rewards you are looking for. This investment won't come back and haunt you if you make the investment wisely. This investment can bring you happiness, energy, strength and self esteem. Start making your investment now, you will thank yourself in the future.

Different types of investments you can make in your health

1. MOVE MORE

I highly recommend that you hire someone QUALIFIED to help you get into or keep you physically fit. I would recommend anyone who has a certification in the FMS (functional movement screen) or RKC/HKC (russian kettlebell certification) because not only do they know how to train movement correctly, but they emphasize form and function. Getting ripped while getting injured in the process is not an investment at all. You want to think on the long haul and be able to be in tip top shape when you get older, not end up in surgery or having chronic pain.

Experts can help us get the goals we want not only sooner but safer. I even have a trainer of my very own if that tells you anything. If I ever wanted to run a marathon, I would meet with a running coach. A triathalon? You guessed it. Swim to get in shape? Then you better bet I will meet with a swim coach to get the absolute most out of my body and my performance in whatever aspect I want to exercise.

Joining a gym is good just as long as there is a PLAN that comes with the gym membership. Walking around and picking out a machine here or there does not mean you are on the right track. For a few more bucks you can hire someone to have a PLAN for you.

If this particular investment is not in the cards then just MOVE MORE. Play with your kids for crying out loud. Put the playstation away and play flag football, tag, baseball, basketball, or just make up your own games. Try to incorporate body weight exercises, and running into your games. You will benefit, your kids will benefit and you will help to strengthen your bond with your children. Childhood obesity is crazy high and we are the ones to blame. We are the ones that teach habits to our youth about everything, including our health.

Don't have time to exercise? Really? Don't have 5 minutes? How much TV do you watch? If you spent those little tibits of time doing SOMETHING it could pay off. Here are some examples:

• while you are waiting for the microwave or stove/oven to finish cooking your meals. Do push ups against the counter. Maybe even some squats or lunges in the kitchen?


• commercial break during the game or favorite tv show? Perform a plank for time and see how long you can hold it with PERFECT form.


• stressed out? Go for a walk with someone or by yourself. The exercise will help your stress immensly

Next time I will talk a bit more about investing in your health through your diet....

Terrific Weekend in Nashville

Nikki and I had a most incredible weekend. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I am happy to say that we took full advantage of it.

Saturday started of at 6am with our RKC prep workout with Kristen and Matt. Nikki was in charge of the workout this week and she had a terrific workout planned for us.

• 5 min snatch test with RKC test weight



• Clean and Press ladder of 5x3 with 2/2 clean and squats between ladders



• Finished with alternating double swings (varied weights) and burpees 35 seconds on/20 seconds rest. 4 rounds of swings with 4 rounds of burpees in between

Terrific workout. Then I was off to shower and then to work. Not much going on today in the VOI so I got caught up on some paperwork, cleaned up the facility, spoke to the members and even got to wii bowl with one of the members for fun! (Thanks Deb!)

After work Nikki and I walked around Hillsboro village for a while to check out some things. Then went to Tabouleh for a wonderful Mediterranean lunch. I have never had Mediterranean before but it was wonderful! We finished off the afternoon with a movie (watched the proposal). Very funny and I enjoyed Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds (my favorite actor).

Sunday was supposed to be a moderate day for Rite of Passage with swings and presses but Nikki and I just weren't feeling it. We decided after breakfast that we needed to have some fit fun. So we went to the sand volleyball court and just played for an hour. Played pepper, played serve and receive, even set and spiked a bit. Got a great sweat and were pretty winded by the time we were done. We even challenged each other to 3 shoe getups each side as well as tried some farmers walks, rack walks and overhead walks with a light kettlebell in the sand. Very challenging.

Then off to Costco to pick up the majority of our groceries and then Whole foods for samples and some fruits and vegetables. Decided to get some poolside time in for an hour where Nikki read "Born to Run" by Chris McDougall and I listened to a StrengthCoach Podcast.

We finished the afternoon with cooking. We made oatmeal cherry protein bars (recipe coming soon), pumpkin pie protein bars, quinoa salad, turkey burgers, & quinoa pasta with vegetables and chicken meatballs. I am very much looking forward to enjoying my meals this week!

Self Limiting Exercise by Mark Cheng

Terrific post by Dr. Mark Cheng, RKC Team Leader and all around genius when it comes to improving movement patterns. He speaks his thoughts along with that of Gray Cook on functional development of our children to the vibram five fingers that everyone is so interested about.

http://kettlebellslosangeles.blogspot.com/2009/07/self-limiting-exercise-are-you-ready.html

Precision Nutrition System

Dr. John Berardi just recently went on a TV show in Canada to talk about different topics in diet and weight loss. Nikki and I both use his Precision Nutrition system and absolutely love his 2 cookbooks! Check out the whole interview by clicking the Title above.


Part 2 - On The Line With Christine Williams
How much protein should we eat, the body mass index, how to gauge progress, and more…



Part 3 - On The Line With Christine Williams
Advanced nutrition, healthy food/supplements, metabolism boosting foods, cravings, and more…

The Dane of Pain Visits Nashville

We are so very fortunate to be working with David Whitley, Senior RKC not only because he knows so much about Hardstyle methods and Kettlebell Training, but also because of all of the people he works with within the RKC community. They are a very tightly knit group.

This past week, David brought Kenneth Jay, Master RKC to our Nashville Kettlebell Bootcamp since he was in town for an upcoming workshop in Atlanta. Kenneth showed us some amazing things including Z-health drills for improved mobility of the feet/ankles, knees, and spine. He also re-introduced us to the viking push press and we performed 10 rounds of 36 seconds of reps on each side. What a workout. We learned a lot about the Viking Push Press and how it is actually more of an explosive workout for the legs if done correctly. The trick is to let the bell come down fast and when your forearm makes contact with your body, then and only then do you absorb the force by bending your hips and knees to allow yourself to rebound the KB back to overhead.

The following morning during bootcamp, Kenneth was so gracious as to have Nikki and myself come with him and practice the fundamental RKC movements. The Swing, Get Up, Snatch, Clean, Press, & Squat. He provided us with some wonderful feedback on some things we can do to clean up our movements. It truly is a blessing to have David and his RKC's to work with. If you are interested in kettlebell training, find an RKC. If you are training for the RKC instructor course CONTACT an RKC and have them clean up your technique. It could be the difference between passing and failing.

If you are interested in learning more about Kenneth Jay. You can find him demonstrating exercises in the Return of the Kettlebell book and dvd with Pavel. Kenneth has also written his own book titled Viking Warrior Conditioning. Both are terrific reads!

Know Your Limitations

Everyone has something that they need to address when it comes to imbalances within their body. The important thing to know is that you have to except the fact that you have a limitation and that you address that limitation on a daily basis. Some days might take more time than others to workout those limitations, some days you might only work on cleaning up that limitation and nothing else.

This is fine, actually I believe that Brett Jones, Master RKC and Gray Cook, RKC would agree with me on the fact that if you don't improve on your limitations then you should not be working out. "If you don't have time to perform your prep work, then you don't have time to workout" (Brett Jones)

This means taking 5-15 minutes in the beginning of your workout and addressing this issue that you need to fix. For example, if you ever check out Brett Jones' Applied Strength blog (he posts his workouts on there) he ALWAYS has some type of prep work to address his limitations. Whether it be Z health work, ASLR work, brettzels, you name it he is working on addressing any limitations he may have before he even picks up a heavy kettlebell. This means not only a safer workout, but a more productive workout as well.

As for another example I will use myself. On the FMS my lowest score has been on the shoulder mobility test. Through time and the discovery of the RKC system I have improved on this imbalance. But, I continually must make an effort to address my thoracic and shoulder mobility to make sure that I am in balance before I workout or there is a good chance that I will fall back into my old patterns and return to a lower score on the shoulder mobility.

I have two very strong ladies in my Injury Prevention & Human Performance program who begin every workout that they perform addressing these limitations. One has a knee mobility issue from a previous injury/surgery and the other addresses her shoulder/thoracic mobility on a daily basis. They always make time to address these corrections first and foremost.

Not sure what your limitation is? Find a FMS specialist or a CK-FMS specialist and get screened, then let them work with your on addressing your limitations.

Core Values

Absolutely terrific video by the New York Times and Dr. Stuart McGill. Author of Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation & Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance. You can check out the article here. Also check out Dr. McGill's website at http://www.backfitpro.com/

Born to Run, A book by Christopher McDougall

You need to check out this book by Chris McDougall. Heard about it from Gray Cook on www.kettlebellsecrets.com. Amazing stuff. If you are a runner, you must watch this video and check out the book. It is only 15 dollars on amazon!

Bootcamp for Thursday June 18th

Nikki was in charge today as David watched. She did a terrific job!

Circuit: 45 on/15 off
Jumping lunges
Plank
T-push ups
Alternating rows

Then split into groups and did 5 round of the following. One person went right after the other:
20 swings
5 burpees
80 yard run down and back

Very tough workout!